A Tribute to Dad

I may or may not be available to post over the weekend but I wanted to use this Father's Day weekend to acknowledge my father.

Probably, the most memorable time in my relationship with my father was when he broke his neck in a car accident. I was in the fourth grade at the time and I remember telling my teacher how my dad was in a "contraption" at the hospital. My teacher kindly corrected me by saying. "No dear that's traction". To which I said, "that's right a contraption".

Regardless, after about three months in the hospital, my father came home in neck brace. Given that finances were tight in the family, he didn't have the luxury of taking care of five kids on no income.

So he did what dads do when the going is tough... he got going. He spent many a day climbing ladders (with a neck brace on I might add) to paint houses for under the table income. He took cash jobs with the Teamsters to go and picket at wildcat sites, he delivered pizzas, he did what ever he could to take care of his family.

My father could have sat around and been depressed about his physical issues but he never had time... He was too busy working.

When I entered college, my dad got me a summer job at the beer distributorship he worked at. Throughout the entire city of Columbus, it didn't matter what bar or pony keg I walked into, if someone introduced me as "Tommy's son" I got the red carpet rolled out for me. That's when I started to really appreciate who my dad was as a man.

A long time ago, I learned that you can't be everything to everybody. But living life means leaving a legacy with every single person you meet. In my case, I make sure that everyone that meets me knows me as a person who is honest & hard working. I don't think it's a coincidence that those are the qualities I would use to describe my dad.

In a world that continually minimizes the role of fathers in families, I can't imagine what my world would have looked like without my dad in it. I know one thing, I wouldn't have a college sheepskin and a CPA certification on my wall.

In the end, if I can be half the man my father is, that would put me a couple of notches above Chuck Norris. I think that's pretty damn good.

Thanks Dad.