My dad recently wrote a book. It was an auto-biography of sorts, chronicling his life experience thus far. It reminded me how important my father is to me and the role he has played in raising me. It made me quite emotional, and reminded me that I am able to be on this amazing journey because of his hard work and the example he has set for me. In the worst of times, he taught me true forgiveness and love. In the best of times, he taught me about elbow grease and reaching for the important things in life. I am overwhelmed with gratefulness for having him in my life, and felt the need to write this...
When I was 5 years old I told my father I "felt like nothing but my name". I told him I felt like nothing else existed but my name and I didn't know what to do. He let me sit beside his desk for hours, until the feeling passed and I was ready to do something else with my day. I still get this feeling from time to time, he still sits with me until it passes.
When I was 7 years old I told my father I was going to have a business where I helped people.
I had a dream that led me to believe my calling was to travel the world and help the impoverished. I didn't know the words missionary or volunteer, I only knew that my father's "business" was the thing he spent all of his time and effort on (after family). Rather than correcting me or or telling me the correct words and methods, my dad told me a business for helping people was a great idea.
When I was 9 years old I told my father I was going to start an organization for kids who were homeless, I would call it Home 4 Kids. My dad helped me draw up plans and came to me later that week letting me know he had registered the domain home-4-kids.com for me. I still own that domain.
When I was 15 years old I told my father I wanted to join my city government through something called Youth Commission. When I was awarded a position in the commission, my dad spent hundreds of dollars to fly home early from a work convention in order to be there for my entrance ceremony.
When I was 16 years old I told my father I wanted to take college courses while I was in high school. He helped me register and left a note on my bathroom mirror my first day of class wishing me luck.
When I was 19 years old I told my father I didn't have the will to live anymore, and that I was concerned he would find me dead at my own hands one day. Within that week depression health supplements and myriad books arrived in the mail to help me through these issues. There were many nights where my father let me just sit next to him in his office until the morning so that I would not have the strength to go through with suicide that night.
When I was 20 years old I told my father I needed to move across the world to help the people of Cambodia. He changed his whole life around to ensure that my responsibilities helping run a household and business were taken care of, he gave me the freedom to move away and get a new beginning.
There was so much pain and joy in the years between each of these instances. There were opportunities that my father let go of to support us kids. He gave up everything to ensure our safety, to the point that we were partially homeless for a while and he still made sure we were provided for. He has shown support for me in each season of my life in ways that I needed at those times.
I have never doubted that my father loves me. When I wasn't strong enough to reach for my dreams, he was strong enough to lift me towards them. If I ever achieve something great in my life, it will be because of my dad's example. My biggest goal is that one day, when he is old and gray, he will look back on his life and see the legacy he has left in his child.
