My Dad

My dad is not a man of many words; and a lot of the time the words he says, I don't really want to hear, but they're always the things I need to hear. Sometimes when I have a question or am having a hard time, I don't really want to call him, because I already know what he's probably going to say, and I really don't want to hear it. But, I'll call him anyway, and he does say exactly the right thing. He's the bishop back home, and I can just imagine how great he is at helping the ward members through their trials.

My dad is very wise, even though you would think that both of us are little kids by listening to half of our conversations, which are about absolutely nothing. Anyone who has been around when I've talked to my dad on the phone knows exactly what I'm talking about. We'll have a ten minute conversation and whoever is with me just looks at me like I'm the weirdest person in the world. Then when I hang up, they ask me what that was all about, and all I can say is nothing, we were just talking. Sometimes I think those are the best conversations because I can just forget everything and joke around with my dad.

My dad is the bravest man I know. I remember when I was little, I'd watch him get on these young horses that didn't know anything and he never even flinched if they jumped around or bucked. Now that I've done that too, I have a ton of respect for him. He'd always get on them before I did, just to make sure I would be safe. Or, when we go camping or hunting, my dad always kept us safe. He's gone through some crazy stuff in the mountains, that's too personal and sacred to our family to share, but even when things were so bad that anyone else may have just given up, my dad didn't.

He's the most charitable man I've ever met. Before I came up to school, my dad and I would spend all day every Saturday volunteering our time to build Camp Joseph. Even though there were multiple stakes in Colorado that bought the land, and benefit from it, it was my dad, bishop, another man in our ward, and myself who would show up every week to work. Other people did help too of course, but no one as much as my dad. Even when my mom was going through cancer, we'd go up there to work. And now, when he's the Bishop, and has a lot more responsibility, he still goes up there often to take care of it. 

My dad would do anything to make my mom, my sister, or me happy. I've heard him say multiple times, "Well your mother wants to, so we've got to keep her happy." When I went home for Memorial Day a couple weeks ago, I don't know that I'd ever seen him try so hard to make me happy. Growing up, I remember my aunt telling me once that he felt so bad because he couldn't buy me the expensive show horses, fancy clothes, and other accessories that so many of the other kids had at the horse shows. He just wanted me to have those things and be happy, but just having him help me so much, and do all of the horse things with me is all I needed, and I was very happy.

My dad is amazing at giving advice, and he's the best teacher I've ever had. Before my dad was the Bishop, he was in the High Council, and he had to go speak in different wards once a month. For about the last year or more that I was home, he usually made me go speak with him. Although I usually complained about having to give so many talks, it really was such a blessing. Not only is my dad an amazing speaker, and I was blessed enough to get to learn the Gospel from him, but he taught me how to speak. From the first talk I gave with him, to the last one, I know that there was a huge improvement, and I know that it was because of him. He didn't only teach me spiritual things though. I remember staying up late every night with him helping me with my math homework. I will still call and ask him questions about things I'm learning in my classes that I don't understand, and he can still help me. My dad taught me how to ride horses. That's the thing I'm most passionate about now, and if it weren't for my dad, I wouldn't have that.

My dad is my best friend. Happy father's day Dad, I love you!