Father's Day

Reach 364: The Early Years

Today I would like to publicly thank the man who has done more than anyone to shape my life and help me fulfill my dreams: my dad.

The amount of support and encouragement I've received from my dad is truly extraordinary. Growing up, I assumed that was normal. I realize more and more all the time how truly remarkable my relationship with my dad actually is. In today's world it is a blessing to have a dad who cares so deeply about his family. Especially now that I'm a parent, I'm also amazed at the amount of faith my dad put in me at a young age. I was an introverted child who spent a lot of time engaging in solitary activities that many parents would have tried to "cure" me of. My dad did the opposite; he let me spread my wings. When I started writing stories at six years old, he was my biggest fan. In fifth grade he helped me apply for my first contest and sell copies of my first "novel" around my elementary school. His encouragement never stopped. His faith in my writing paved the way for later successes: winning a national short story contest, coauthoring a book for Christian teenagers, and writing two novels.

By sharing his love of airplanes and technology, my dad found creative ways for us to spend time together and gave me an enormous head start on skills that have served me my entire life. He is a private pilot and loved to take me flying. Some of my first memories are of sitting in the right seat of his Globe Swift, craning my neck to see over the instrument panel, feeling the throb of the engine in my seat. I got the flying bug early and it never went away. When I wanted to begin flying lessons at 14 he was quietly supportive; he helped pay for my first lessons and worked to convince my worried mother that flying lessons were an acceptable way for her son to spend his weekends. My dad also encouraged my early interest in technology. When I started fiddling around with the BASIC programming language, he bought me the latest version of Microsoft C++ for Christmas. It is a highly technical language used by professionals and shipped with a box of manuals two feet long. I was twelve years old. A year or two later, he bought two robot kits for Christmas. We spent many long hours in the garage, soldering circuit boards and learning how to write software for microprocessors. Every Tuesday night during these years we ate fast food together, then he drove me across the city to a special institute for teenagers to study science and engineering. My dad cultivated rare skills that have helped tremendously in my professional life, and we had a lot of fun doing it. These are some of our fondest memories together.

Most importantly, my dad taught me character. He has always taken great care of my mom and demonstrated through his life how to be a good husband. He never missed a chance to tell me or my sisters that he loved us. He taught me how to work hard, face up to life's challenges, and respect others. He has always had tremendous enthusiasm for life and energizes everyone he meets. He lives out his motto well: "Growing old is mandatory, growing up is optional." He is generous with his time and money and never misses a chance to serve a good cause. I've watched him write a massive database to manage a school auction, give free airplane rides to kids, serve and teach in his church, give technology presentations in schools, and play the peacemaker and problem solver in some physically and emotionally exhausting situations with family and friends. He never complains and never shirks from duties. Even when he's tired from his many responsibilities, he brings joy and enthusiasm to everyone he meets.

Thanks, dad. Happy Father's Day. I love you.