The Ol' Duffer

As I child I felt sorry for everyone who didn't have my dad. It was a tragedy, really, that some people had SKINNY dads, because SKINNY dads never seemed to be either fun or funny. Those kids didn't have a nice fluffy tummy on which to run and jump, and those dads definitely weren't amazing chefs like my dad. He learned a thing or two from his dad, and I learned a thing or two from him. He was magical in the kitchen, and I learned to listen to my taste buds from a very young age. Repetitive conversations with my dad:

Me: Oh! I want some of that!

Dad: Nope. It's just for adults. You better not have any of that.

Me: PLEEEASE!

Dad: It's poisonous. It's nasty! You won't like it.

Me: No it's not. I want some!

Foods in question that I was begging for: spinach soufflé, liverwurst, smoked oysters, artichokes... yep. I can thank dad for a diverse palate at a young age.

When we went on family outings I had my suspicions about having an amazing dad confirmed by my cousins who told me how lucky I was. I undoubtedly replied, "I know." I thought their dads were rather stuffy and boring, or maybe a tiny bit scary. Who cared if they brought four wheelers or campers on outings, or owned big food corporations or had nice cars. Their children knew what really mattered, and it was always my dad who wanted to spend time with you, and loved you, and laughed your tears away.

Yesterday I spoke in church. I shared how my dad saved my life as a kid, and then loved this rebellious teenager so much that one day she figured that if her earthly dad loved her this much, then her Heavenly Father must be a pretty amazing guy, too.

A few things I have learned from the Ol' Duffer:

Plumbing and sweating copper pipe | tile setting | window framing | wire splicing |gas ciphering | electrical wiring | cooking | fishing | camping | painting | sales | customer service | courage | building strategic business relationships | how to get a bargain that would knock your socks off | soldering | using grinders | chop saws | tile saws | drills | and a hundred other tools | how to put up sheet rock | how to build a wood inlay floor | how to run a straight bead of caulk | how to walk quietly like an "Indian" | cool technology like laser disk movies and Beta max tapes | how to find and cut a proper Christmas Tree | how to love sushi at age 12 | how to make a torch with WD-40 | how to love hard work and take pride in it | even if it's installing a toilet | how to blow glass | how to recognize the hand of God in your life | how to honor your parents... and the list goes on and on...

(To be fair, I will share what I have learned from Mom in August... Stay tuned)

And if you care to share, what have you learned from your pop?