Big Shoes

This being Father’s Day I would be remiss if I didn’t talk about my dad.   The saying of “big shoes to fill” doesn’t begin to establish the sheer measurements we’re talking about here.   Being the father of twelve kids couldn’t have been an easy task. Through it my Dad not only managed to retain his sanity, he also, along with my Mom, imparted some very important lessons to us.  First: Be Yourself.  All the times I came home with a shaved head, colored hair, piercings and even tattoos, my Dad may not have been happy about it, but he never once told me I was wrong.  Second:  Live Life.  It seems like a long time ago that I called my Dad to tell him the Niki and I were planning on selling our house in Seattle to buy an RV and see the country.  I fully expected my father, the financial advisor, to tell me how bad a decision we were making for our future.  Instead, he told us to do it while we were young and to have fun.  Which brings me to the third, and possibly most important lesson: Have Fun.   Raising such a large, diverse family had to be a daunting task, but our parents had fun.  I’m not talking card tricks and juggling, but the little things everyday: Bonfires, camping, backyard volleyball, cooking  and, my all-time favorite, the spontaneous singing and dancing in the kitchen.   All of these lessons helped make me who I am today and I hope I can pass them on to my boys with the same strength of conviction, integrity and love that my Dad gave me.  Happy Father’s Day Dad.