An Ode to My Dad

Yes, I am aware that I haven't written anything in a month, and I'm okay with it. Nothing has really happened; I can sum up the majority of my life in a word--work. And yes, I still love it as much as I did last month! Tonisha moved and Liz works as much as I do, so I don't have a bustling social life right now. And, in a freak accident, I broke off my big toenail. (A story for another time..) No, I haven't taken the company of a new man, although, if you know of anyone who would fit the bill, you could send him my way :) So, I won't bore you with the minutiae of my life, and I will move on to other things...

The other day I was thinking about the fact that I never really post much about my dad. I'm not really sure why, but that is the case. It's not like he isn't around or is totally reclusive, it's really more of the fact that he doesn't like posing for pictures very often, and I typically revolve my posts around pictures I have taken of my family. Anyway, now that Father's Day is here, I thought that now would be the appropriate time to spend some time talking about my dear ol' dad!

Bernard is his name, but it is pronounced like Ber-Nerd, not Ber-Nard. He has starting going by Bernie instead, to save the confusion. There really isn't a way to sum him up in a word...that DEFINITELY is not happening. He is quite the man of contrasts, and is truly one-of-a-kind. I'll do my best to paint a better picture of this man who is quite the class act.

Just the other day at church, I was sitting with Gina and Andy after Mass, and I watched Dad come out of his weekly council meeting that he hates, besides the fact that he gets to talk with his friend, Frank. He was a stunning vision in his Wranglers, ostrich-skin Roper slip-ons, and his pink button-down shirt...all of which was eventually topped off by his straw cowboy hat and prescription sunglasses after he exited the building. That's one of the cool things about him: he wears pink on his own accord, and he really wears it well! Right now, he looks like he's in training for a Phil Robertson look-alike contest, much to my mom's chagrin, but he claims that he will let us shave his head after he gets his shed built...or until he gets too hot outside. (I think she gets first dibs at the clippers when that day comes!)

My dad is intense, which has been known to intimidate others. He stands his ground and is firm about his beliefs. He knows what he's about! He is bold, and sometimes, brash. He can curse like a sailor, and rarely minces words to tell you how he feels about something. No matter how you look at it, he is good at getting his point across when he needs to. He's also good at sitting back and observing situations, and I trust his opinions on people, because he is usually right on point with his judgments. You wouldn't believe it by talking to him sometimes, but he gets nervous in crowds of people and prefers smaller settings.

My dad is smart, even though he always says he is dumb, because he didn't like school. There is no way that I could ever possess half of the knowledge he has. My dad has a working knowledge of motors (both gas and diesel), plumbing, electrical information, heating and refrigeration, welding, and most other mechanically-oriented areas. He can drive and operate almost anything with wheels. He knows all about when to plant, fertilize, bale, pasture, and harvest wheat and other crops. He knows all about animals, because his parents used to run a dairy, and he has raised almost every other type of animal, including sheep, chickens, pigs, and turkeys. He can draw blueprints almost as well as accurate as any computerized blueprint...he and my mom designed and drafted the plans for the house we live in now. He knows all about banking, legal matters, medical issues, and a plethora of other things. What I admire most is that, although he hated school, he strongly encouraged my sisters and me to pursue an education in order to find a career that fulfills our passion.

He is disciplined and a hard worker. My dad often works all day at his job, then comes home and farms until he runs out of daylight. He's worked plenty a graveyard shift, and has gone from running a mail route all day to working second shift at the feed mill in the same day, and doing that five days a week. Nowadays, he rests a little bit more, but I think even if he ever retires, he'll still wake up at 5:30 AM and make a pot of coffee, just because it's ingrained in him. Thankfully, he taught my sisters and me this virtue also. This work ethic alone has been the most valuable thing we ever could have learned in life.

He knows how to have fun, too. As odd as it sounds, his favorite hobby is sitting with my brothers-in-law, drinking beer and smoking cigars, listening to country music. He also appreciates good music, and I think I got some of my good taste in music from him. As rough and gruff as he may appear, he loves Carole King and James Taylor, among other artists. Of course, he listens to classic rock and country music, but he tends to prefer old rock or country to most other music. He also has a fondness for old Western movies or TV shows, and would much rather spend an evening watching DVD reruns of the Beverly Hillbillies or Andy Griffith, as opposed to anything on TV today.

He isn't necessarily a Luddite, but he isn't a big proponent of technology, either. He has a love/hate relationship with his cell phone, and has no immediate plans of upgrading to a smart phone. He refuses to do any internet banking or online shopping, but often calls on my mom or me to look stuff up for him. He uses the computer just fine, but usually prefers to use it to play Solitaire or other card games. He fears the big role that technology plays in our lives today, and often declares that it is the "ruination of our society". I agree with him, to an extent. Considering all of this, it is somewhat fitting that he is a mail carrier, carrying on the tradition of how things have always been. (He doesn't always have much love for his job, though, in case you were wondering.)

His faith is a major part of his life, but he isn't preachy about it. He is a cradle Catholic, who willingly attends Mass on Sundays and other holy days, but he hates the new wording of the Mass prayers. He actually still says everything the old way, and sometimes I think he says it extra loud, just because he can. (In all honesty, I don't like the new wording, either. I think it is archaic and an unnecessary change.) He doesn't usually talk about God or his relationship with Him, but I still think he is a good example of a Christian, because he sees the value in helping people out. That is best seen whenever disasters strike or someone dies. He is always the first to call to ask people if they need to borrow a generator or a chainsaw after storms. He is always the first to go visit with grieving families after a loved one dies, usually bringing kind words, paper products, and a pot of chicken noodle soup with him. I think he does that because he remembers the kindness that people offered to my family when Michelle died.

Really, it takes a strong man to live his life around lots of women. Growing up, he had four sisters and his mom at home. After marrying my mom, he ended up with four daughters. Heaven knows that had its tense moments, if you know what I mean! Often, people might think that since there were all girls in my family, we were all treated like "Daddy's Princesses". (For reasons I can't explain, I hate that phrase.) That was NOT the case at all. In his eyes, us girls were just as good, if not better than, any boy ever could have been. From a young age, he had us bucketing cattle feed, moving 50 lb. feedsacks, and all sorts of other stuff. It would always floor the guys at CO-OP when he told us to go load up sacks of mineral, instead of waiting an eternity on the high-school aged boy to come load it for us. He taught us about car care, finances, farm work, and plenty of other things. He taught us not to be dependent on a man to save us, but rather, how to be independent and wait for the right man to come into our life.

My dad is a great cook! I think it came from being the youngest and always being in the kitchen with his mom. He can grill and smoke meat to flavorful perfection, dream up delicious breakfast concoctions, roll out paper-thin egg noodles that are just about as perfect as Mimi's, and bake bread & cinnamon rolls with the best of them! He also loves pies, and often jokes that he only gets them for his birthday and Father's Day...okay, so that is kind of the truth..Oops!

He loves his grandsons, and would go to the ends of the earth for them, just as he would for us girls. Cody, especially, has been his shadow as of late, and is doing his best to soak up all the farming knowledge he can from Dad. I always loved seeing him at the hospital after all of the boys were born, and he would hold them in his arms.

Okay, so I've gone on long enough about my dad, and I'm sure I have painted a better picture of him. Even if he can be stubborn/difficult sometimes, I am still incredibly blessed to have a dad like mine! I love you, Dad...Happy Father's Day!