Dad

I am thankful for good parents that loved me when I was growing up. My dad passed away in 1995 at 90 years of age. He loved me and as he got older he showed that love more. He had a temper and expected things to be done a certain way and he would let you know when you weren't meeting his standards. He also knew how to do lots of stuff, useful stuff. He taught me to work. He wasn't satisfied with just doing a job, he wanted it done right. He was not an Adventist, but he went to church with us for many years. He allowed my brothers and me to go to church school for a few years. He was consistent in his relationship with his sons. He had integrity. He was honest. He modeled Christianity even though I never knew him to speak of being a christian. He was smart in both book learning and in horse sense. His ability to do practical things that I didn't know how to do always intimidated me. Now as I look back, I think I was more like him than I ever knew. A lot of his practical knowledge came from experience, from having to do many different things over the years. I am thankful that I grew up with a father that loved me and did everything he could to make sure I grew up to be a good man.