Daniel and I just got lucky when it came to wonderful parents & grandparents in our lives. Today, on Father's Day, we'd like to take a few minutes to share how lucky we are in the Father & Grandfather department.
I hit the Dad jackpot. As a Daddy's girl I've always relied on my Dad's expert opinion, patience with his hot headed daughter, and his mentality of helping others. My Dad has run his own business since before I was born, he successfully supported us (with Mom's help of course), he is a successful liver transplant recipient, and an involved father and grandfather to this day. When your parent goes through something like an organ transplant, you learn a lot about yourself and them. I learned that my Dad is a fighter and his strength is immeasurable. I always knew he was strong, I just didn't have any reason to fathom how strong.
Barry is an inspiration. He's hard-working, devoted, and full of sage advice. The love he shows his family is incredible. I felt accepted as part of the family from the moment I took his advice to have Ammi's tires rotated. I think he saw that as me trying to take care of her, and I think it changed the way he looked at me. I'm so grateful to be part of their family.
My dad has a magical persona that's so endearing, you can't help but love him... or find him frustrating. Or sometimes both at the same time. With each passing year, I understand him a little more as I see his behavior, actions, and light in myself. I'm so grateful to have him as my father, and as my friend. His kindness and compassion helped make me the person I am today and I hope to share it with everyone in my life.
Jim Carter is one of my favorite humans in the world, spend any time with him and you get to see some of my favorite parts of Daniel in their original form. Jim's kindness, sense of humor, and radiation of love make him and his home one of the most welcoming people and places in the world.
I'm lucky enough to not only had one of the best Pa's in the world, but to still have him in my life at 37 years old. My Pa is a devoted Christian and knows everyone in Bowling Green after decades of selling insurance (I still buy my insurance through one of his trainees). He taught me to fish and made fishing fun when I was little. One of my favorite memories as a little kid is waiting at the Alvaton house for Pa to come home from work and hiding behind the couch to scare him. These days my Pa is a man of few words, even still he lives a life of love and service.
Johnny's steadfastness is unwavering and he exudes a inspiring calm comfort. He has a genuine and contagious smile that can light up a room. One of my favorite memories is when my parents got to meet Johnny and Martha and were instantly friends. It was as if they had known each other for years, old friends meeting back up instead of for the first time. I took that as a very good sign that these folks were family.
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