God blessed me with a great dad. He wasn’t perfect, but he was my daddy and I was his little girl. He had been married before he and my mom met. His first wife died in a car accident. Before she died, she and dad had three children — two daughters and a son. Those children became my brother and sisters; and I have been blessed by them and their love.

Our dad was what many people might call, a “hard” man. He had high expectations for himself and for his children. At times his discipline was harsh — but as an adult, I understand that we are a product of the life that we had lived. My dad grew up fast because his dad was seldom home and when he was home, it wasn’t pleasant. Dad worked from an early age and helped to pay the bills. He assumed many of the chores and responsibilities for the animals they owned and the property on which they lived. He cared for his mom, his brothers, and his sisters…and he grew up to be my dad.

When I think about the most precious gifts that he has given to me, I must say that there are several, but I’ll limit myself to three. He gave me love. Even when I was in trouble (I probably should have been in trouble more often than I actually was), I never doubted that he loved me. He gave me a home. My parents divorced when I was 12. When I was with my mom, we often moved. You see, the life of a single mom is one of trying to make everything work. But my dad and second mom have lived in the same place for decades. It was a place to which I could always return; it was home. He gave me a sense of self-respect. My dad taught me to respect myself and that translated into practical action — especially when I was a teenager and was surrounded by adolescents doing stupid things. You see, I never drank and then got behind the wheel of a car. I never got in a car with someone who had been drinking. I never used the drugs that many of my friends offered me. I didn’t sleep around with the guys from school. I didn’t watch movies that would fill my head with trash. I respected myself, my mind, and my body too much to do things that I thought — and that my dad thought — were stupid and destructive.

So, on this day before Father’s Day, I want you to know how much I love my dad. He grew up sooner than he should have; but as a result, he gave his children gifts of inestimable value. We are blessed because of him. I love you, Daddy!