My dad taught me...

So recently many people have been sharing a blog on Facebook. The article is 50 Rules for Dads of Daughters. Check it out. It is totally worth reading even if you're not a dad or a daughter.

As I read this I thought of my dad who, by the way, is totally my hero. I wanted to be him when I grew up. I can't really be him when I grow up but I did totally marry a man like him.

As I read the 50 rules I can see many my dad followed and of course some he made up along the way. So I wanted to reflect and take a minute to come up with the 25 things my dad taught me, many stemming from those 50 rules...and in no particular order.

That's love...getting ready to give your daughter away!

1.  Whistle. This may be the very first thing he taught me. He used to walk around with me as a baby and whistle to me. The story goes that when I was just 6 months old I whistle back. Today I still find myself whistling around the house. It certainly can brighten any day.

2.  Math. He used to do "story problems" in the car with me to get me better at mental math. He always helped me with math and made me think it through even if the teacher said it needed to be done way. I wouldn't say I'm a math genius but I can do math!

3.  Slow down. My dad was usually the last one to finish dinner (unless we were having peas, then it was me). In our home, we sat at the dinner table together until everyone was finished. I learned to slow down and enjoy my food and my family. Today, my family sits around the dinner table until everyone is finished.

4.  Ask for help. I watch my dad receive help with humility and grace and give help without expecting anything (to include a thank you). He didn't do it all and I learned I didn't have to do it all either.

Just too many sock...so I asked for help...Amazing kiddos to the rescue.

5.  Pray. This may be one of the most important lessons. He prayed aloud with me, for me and just near me. I learned how to pray by his example.

6.  Love the outdoors. My dad is an outdoorsmen. He used to say that he was going to run away to be a hermit in the mountains. I told him that would be really hard to do since we would all follow him. Because of him, I love camping and hiking and being outdoors (as long as there aren't mosquitoes eating me alive).

At the edge of a water fall near Creede, CO.

7.  Throw. I still throw like a girl but that's certainly not from lack of trying. My dad bought me a baseball mitt and ball, a basket ball and a football. He taught me to throw all of them and catch too. Though I didn't like it, I liked that he wanted to teach me and so I tried.

Even taking me to games didn't improve my throw.

8.  Persistance. He taught me to keep trying, to not give up and to get back up. I was probably the biggest chicken when it came to trying new things. He didn't yell. He didn't stop trying to teach me. In fact, he gently encouraged and sometimes skillfully bribed. I learned to go down slides, jump into pools and ride a bike. Eventually I ended being adventurous and made him ride all the roller coasters...and he did.

As the stories go...he dumped me over on my face in this sled.

9.  Dance. Okay, he didn't really teach me to dance, but I "danced" by standing on his feet while he held my hands. Then later he danced with me at weddings and daddy/daughter dinners. He then taught me to never forget to dance. 

Dancing with dad on my wedding day.

10.  Date. Yes he taught me how to date. My dad dated me my whole life (and if you're reading this dad, we're a little overdo on our date). We would go to breakfast when I was little. Dinner when I was older and sometime dessert if we didn't have a lot of time. We even took a few trips camping (just the two of us).

Daddy/Daughter Banquet 2008...he even bought me a corsage

11. Friendship. Not only is my dad one of my best friends but he also modeled friendship. He has amazing friends that he has had all my life. He holds himself accountable to them, prays with them and has a lot of fun with them. I learned all these things by watching and experiencing it.

Friends & family from all over the country that came when my mom passed away.

12.  Laugh at myself. My dad probably teased me more than anyone ever in my life (in a loving and playful way). He taught me to not take myself or things too seriously, to laugh and to let loose a little.

Nothing better than a profession photo with my tongue hanging out.

13.  Fish. Okay, he probably did most of it, but he took me fishing. Yes, he put the bait on the hook and took the fish off the hook. He filet the fish and then cooked it too, but he always told others about all the fish I caught and let me tell my very own fish stories.

Papa teaching my girls to fish.

14. Drive. My dad is an amazing driver. He knows how to drive defensively and now I do. I know how to drive in the snow, get out of a skid and park a beast in a small spot. I know how to merge (I don't think anyone else in CO knows how to do that). I know how to avoid accidents and I'm not an aggressive driver.

Yep...that's about how I feel thinking about teaching a teenager to drive!

15.  Car maintenance. Well this may be the thing about which I learned the least...but I know how to change a flat, check my oil, refill some of the fluids and start a car with a manual coke. Because this is the end of my knowledge, I learned to call when things go wrong. Now, being married to a mechanic, I think I may have let most of this information go and have used that brain space for other things.

16.  Mow. He taught me how to mow the lawn, pull weeds and edge the grass. I don't like doing it but I certainly know how. I think he taught me so he wouldn't have to do it but nonetheless I learned!

17.  Drill. He taught me how to use power tools. I used a saw, sander and a drill. He bought me my first tool kit when I moved out on my own and I still have it. Though I married a very handy man and don't need to do much home repair, I know what tool to hand him when his head is under a sink or he's on a ladder.

18.  Generosity. He always gave what ever he had whenever it was needed. He helped friends and neighbors. He worked on repairs at the church and even a few places I worked. He always told me that God blessed him with things so that he could give them. He knew that God would continue to provide and so he continues to give. I cannot begin to thank him for the generosity he has shown my family.

Dad & Diane on vacation with our family.

19.  Punctuality. Okay, I'm not great at this but it's not because I didn't have a great teacher. My dad was always punctual. He took pride in being on time to things and be respectfully of other people's time. 

20. Humility. My dad is the most humble man I know. I watched him take responsibility for things that he did wrong. I watched him respond to lessons learned with grace. I watched him admit he was wrong. Somehow through all of that it made him look perfect in my eyes.

Takes a certain kind of man to dress up & stick on a beard for a church event.

21. Eat, Drink and be Merry. Yep, my dad knows how to have a good time. It seems every family function is about a little wine, a lot of food and a whole lot of fun. He busted out the moves on the Wii "Just Dance 3" this Christmas.

That's some Just Dance 3 on the Wii...caught ya ;)

22. Love music. I may have never loved music the way I do if it wasn't for my dad. I grew up with so many records and the radio. I discovered The Beach Boys and Simon & Garfunkel but also Phil Driscoll and The Gathers. We listened to the oldies and Christian music and a little Willie Nelson too. I didn't grow up listening to Pop music and seemed to be out of the times as a teen. I grew up listening to my dad's music. Today, I still listen to his music, have found some of my own and still don't listen to much Pop music.

Yep, that's me at a piano recital a million years ago.

23. Love God. My dad loves God. My dad loves God. I thought that sentence deserved to written twice. He had taught me about God and loved God my whole life. I feel I have an intimate and blessed relationship with God because my dad loves God.

Reading verses at his dad's memorial service

24. God's love. Yep just reversed that previous one and my dad taught me about God's love.

25. Nap. Yep that's my favorite...saved it for last. My dad always knew how to take a nice nap in his chair and I do love me some naps!

*Now don't get me wrong, my mom took part in teach many of these. I love my mom and they were partners in life, love and raising me. This is just a tribute to my dad. I love you dad. There are many, many more lessons I could post but I felt 25 was a nice number...also I didn't think people would want to read the millions of things my dad taught me.