Tiffany Banman - Pure Anada Social Media Manager
I've been pondering what to write for Father's Day and also what kind of approach to take. I realize that people are in different situations and walks of life. Everyone has had a different Dad experience, some have never had a Dad experience at all, and some have experienced this kind of love and had to part with their Dad and hold the experience as a memory. Whatever stage of life you're at out there, I hope these words can make you smile as you relate to them, inspire you in some way, or bring happy memories to your heart.
I have come to the conclusion that there are many different Dad styles. When I think of how my Dad is compared to how my brother is as a Dad, I kind of have to grin at the variety of "Dad styles". My Dad is definitely on the quiet side, so he is always around, but never the one doing the talking. My brother is a very "present" Dad in every form of the word. I think his kids have another thing coming when they're old enough to get involved in sports and any other activities. My Dad sits by supportively and applauses, but my brother runs the field and calls out the plays. My Dad laughs at all of the jokes, but my brother generally IS the joke.
So, I tried to come up with a few things that most Dads have in common.
The first outstanding characteristic is faithfulness. The steadfast aspect of faithfulness especially. If you've got Dad in your corner, then I think you're in a pretty good place. I feel like if the whole world is falling apart, the love of a loyal father is kind of binding - the glue that helps make it feel like it's going to be ok. I think faithfulness carries over into everyday life too - the kind of loyalty that causes a Dad to want to be part of every aspect of your life. Growing up, no matter what extracurricular activity I was involved in, I could always look around and see my parents out there, showing their support. My Dad is a man of few words, so his support is often his presence, and he makes sure that he is faithfully there...for everything. Every Dad has been roped into a game of barbies growing up, but my Dad always made a valiant effort to play the Ken barbie with all of the chivalry and lame acting that it requires. Every Dad has had to "look alive" when he gets home from work because kids always have something up their sleeve, whether it's a slip-n-slide in the backyard or a game of soccer that needs a goalie. Every Dad has been required to show up to the piano recital and offer moral support and applause. Every Dad has gone through the dating phase and had to watch his kids make and break relationships, trying to figure out this crazy thing called love. I believe that faithful Dads go through the process of watching their kids make mistakes, but stand by them and show enough support that they dare to try again. Every faithful Dad has shared in the highs and lows, victories and losses of his kids, and felt their joy and sorrow as if it was his own. Can I get a hearty "Amen" for faithful Dads?
Another invaluable characteristic of a Dad is love. If I think back, I can remember the very first impressions of love that moved me as a child. Dad would show me love by coming to my room to pray with me before bed and NEVER missed a night of goodnight hugs and kisses. He would sometimes just lay beside me and let me pepper him with questions, just because. He always knew the next day was early to rise and off to work, but making sure that I was loved was a priority. When it comes to teen years, my Dad would again sit up late to hear every rant, every tearful misunderstanding, and every dramatic experience that shook my small world. Looking back, I'm actually impressed that I had functionable parents with so few hours of sleep. Bless their hearts. I understood love by watching my Dad love my Mom. Haven't we all been the awkward pre-teen who would really prefer not to see Dad kiss Mom or watch uncomfortable embraces? Just ew. Dads have to spread their love all around growing up, making sure that everyone is taken care of. Dad never wavered showing love to my Mom, and I think it's what inspires kids to move forward in life and start their own story of love. Dads inspire their kids by showing love to others, people that aren't even family. Our home was always open to everyone growing up and still is. I will never forget how my parents became the parents of many friends who didn't grow up in a loving home like I did. How they would show me in everyday life and small things, just how much of an impact love could truly have on a life. Ultimately, love is sacrifice, and I thank my Dad for showing such selfless love to me and those around me too.
Dads teach valuable lessons everyday. Lessons like work ethic - I guess they'd have to develop work ethics since kids always want to be involved in EVERYTHING including baseball, swimming lessons, piano lessons, hockey, and gymnastics. Lessons like friendship - learning how to hold onto people who need your help, and how to let go of people that are tearing you down. Lessons like honesty - the vulnerability of sharing what is really laying heavy on your heart, and the right time and place to say the hard things without hurting the ones you love. Lessons like perseverance - doing what you know you are responsible to do when everything in you wants to give up and quit. And mostly the lesson of love - putting self aside to make a difference in someone else's life and making such an impact by love, that the legacy carries on for generations to come.
I've been pondering what to write for Father's Day and also what kind of approach to take. I realize that people are in different situations and walks of life. Everyone has had a different Dad experience, some have never had a Dad experience at all, and some have experienced this kind of love and had to part with their Dad and hold the experience as a memory. Whatever stage of life you're at out there, I hope these words can make you smile as you relate to them, inspire you in some way, or bring happy memories to your heart.
I have come to the conclusion that there are many different Dad styles. When I think of how my Dad is compared to how my brother is as a Dad, I kind of have to grin at the variety of "Dad styles". My Dad is definitely on the quiet side, so he is always around, but never the one doing the talking. My brother is a very "present" Dad in every form of the word. I think his kids have another thing coming when they're old enough to get involved in sports and any other activities. My Dad sits by supportively and applauses, but my brother runs the field and calls out the plays. My Dad laughs at all of the jokes, but my brother generally IS the joke.
So, I tried to come up with a few things that most Dads have in common.
The first outstanding characteristic is faithfulness. The steadfast aspect of faithfulness especially. If you've got Dad in your corner, then I think you're in a pretty good place. I feel like if the whole world is falling apart, the love of a loyal father is kind of binding - the glue that helps make it feel like it's going to be ok. I think faithfulness carries over into everyday life too - the kind of loyalty that causes a Dad to want to be part of every aspect of your life. Growing up, no matter what extracurricular activity I was involved in, I could always look around and see my parents out there, showing their support. My Dad is a man of few words, so his support is often his presence, and he makes sure that he is faithfully there...for everything. Every Dad has been roped into a game of barbies growing up, but my Dad always made a valiant effort to play the Ken barbie with all of the chivalry and lame acting that it requires. Every Dad has had to "look alive" when he gets home from work because kids always have something up their sleeve, whether it's a slip-n-slide in the backyard or a game of soccer that needs a goalie. Every Dad has been required to show up to the piano recital and offer moral support and applause. Every Dad has gone through the dating phase and had to watch his kids make and break relationships, trying to figure out this crazy thing called love. I believe that faithful Dads go through the process of watching their kids make mistakes, but stand by them and show enough support that they dare to try again. Every faithful Dad has shared in the highs and lows, victories and losses of his kids, and felt their joy and sorrow as if it was his own. Can I get a hearty "Amen" for faithful Dads?
Another invaluable characteristic of a Dad is love. If I think back, I can remember the very first impressions of love that moved me as a child. Dad would show me love by coming to my room to pray with me before bed and NEVER missed a night of goodnight hugs and kisses. He would sometimes just lay beside me and let me pepper him with questions, just because. He always knew the next day was early to rise and off to work, but making sure that I was loved was a priority. When it comes to teen years, my Dad would again sit up late to hear every rant, every tearful misunderstanding, and every dramatic experience that shook my small world. Looking back, I'm actually impressed that I had functionable parents with so few hours of sleep. Bless their hearts. I understood love by watching my Dad love my Mom. Haven't we all been the awkward pre-teen who would really prefer not to see Dad kiss Mom or watch uncomfortable embraces? Just ew. Dads have to spread their love all around growing up, making sure that everyone is taken care of. Dad never wavered showing love to my Mom, and I think it's what inspires kids to move forward in life and start their own story of love. Dads inspire their kids by showing love to others, people that aren't even family. Our home was always open to everyone growing up and still is. I will never forget how my parents became the parents of many friends who didn't grow up in a loving home like I did. How they would show me in everyday life and small things, just how much of an impact love could truly have on a life. Ultimately, love is sacrifice, and I thank my Dad for showing such selfless love to me and those around me too.
Dads teach valuable lessons everyday. Lessons like work ethic - I guess they'd have to develop work ethics since kids always want to be involved in EVERYTHING including baseball, swimming lessons, piano lessons, hockey, and gymnastics. Lessons like friendship - learning how to hold onto people who need your help, and how to let go of people that are tearing you down. Lessons like honesty - the vulnerability of sharing what is really laying heavy on your heart, and the right time and place to say the hard things without hurting the ones you love. Lessons like perseverance - doing what you know you are responsible to do when everything in you wants to give up and quit. And mostly the lesson of love - putting self aside to make a difference in someone else's life and making such an impact by love, that the legacy carries on for generations to come.
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