I'm writing this entry on my recliner on a rainy Wednesday evening. I've finally succumbed to the cold virus that has been passed around my office for the last couple weeks. The last time I had a sick day was honestly probably back in grade school, but tomorrow could be the first if I don't feel better in the morning.
I want to talk about my dad and his impact on my life tonight. My dad is and always will be the person I aspire to be in life. I always tell people if I can be half the man my father is I will have succeeded. It's funny how sometimes you don't recognize what type of sacrifices parents make for you until your older. You take for granted the fact that they work to put food on the table for you, they help you with your homework to help you get into a college that they will probably end up paying for, they teach you morals and values that they hope will keep you safe.
My entire life my dad has always been there when I needed him. Every night he would come home from a long day at work and cook the family dinner, then help me with my homework. As a kid we would play Parcheesi in the upstairs office and listen to oldies 100. I always felt and still feel to this day that I could ask my dad anything and he would know the answer. The guy knows everything. I really hope when I become a dad I can have that wealth of information.
He's not your typical dad. He is highly successful but on the weekends just looks like your average guy. My dad has never cared what people thought of him. I remember one time, while waiting for me outside of my dorm at Umass, he laid down under a tree and a cop came by thinking he might be homeless. You will never hear my dad brag about anything. The few words he does speak are always thoughtful and intelligent. His patience might be his most amazing attribute. My mom, though I love her to death, can be a bit overbearing and intense sometimes. My dad somehow always keeps it together and always acts as the voice of reason in the household. Speaking of my mom, she is also an amazing person, and I plan to write about her and my sister in a later blog.
On top of everything he does for his family, my dad has lived a pretty cool life. He biked around the world his first year out of college. He traveled to India, Afghanistan, Thailand sleeping in bushes on the side of roads. He saw people and places most of us will never see, especially in this day and age where that kind of trip would no longer be possible. His job working for the World Bank takes him to countries like Brazil, Poland, Kazakhstan, and Bosnia. He is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese, graduated from Harvard, and you would never know it if you saw him in the street. His idea of a good time is similar to mine. Out on the Potomac, on his kayak on a summer day. He likes living the simple life which some people look down upon, but I tend to admire. He is a California man through and through, always wondering "why I like seasons when in California everyday is sunny and warm." In addition, my dad is a huge 2pac fan, his favorites being Hit em Up, Hell 4 a Hustler, and When Thugs Cry. He also has been know to work out to a few Usher tunes every now and then, haha. My dad is truly unique and doesn't really care about fitting in. He puts his children and wife above himself. I really hope I can be the same type of father to my kids someday.
It was really hard to write this blog. There are just so many things I can say about my dad and his impact on my life that I am probably leaving out. What I will say is that I am the luckiest guy in the world to have someone in my life like him. I always know no matter what stupid stuff I do, how hurt I feel, what type of career I choose he will always support and be there for me 100%. I think being a good father is really all about loving and taking care of your family above all else, and their is no better example of that than my father. Thanks for reading and hope to write again soon!
Your dad is lucky too brother.
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