Some of the things that I absolutely LOVE about my Dad:
1. His optimism. Honestly, this man doesn't let ANYTHING rattle him. He views every problem and obstacle from the "30,000 foot level" and never loses his perspective. According to my Dad, every thing (and I do mean EVERYTHING) will "heal in 6 weeks," every trail "makes a loop" back to where you started, and he can whistle or sing old school country music through just about any crisis. I wish I had a truckload more of this in myself.
2. No matter how dead tired he was at the end of his work day, when I was young he would almost always consent to go to the church to shoot baskets with me if I would "call and get the church key." I don't think Bishop Jepsen ever got more phone calls from a 10 year old girl than during his tenure in our ward.
3. He taught me the value of learning to dribble with my left hand, to fake before every pass, and that if I didn't get at least one offensive foul every game, I wasn't playing aggressively enough. Words to live by! :)
4. He signed me up to play Jr. Jazz baskeball on all-boys teams year after year and then when I was in 8th grade and he thought the softball leauge I had been playing in was a joke, he signed me up to play Bronco baseball (oh the horror!). Now, as an adult, I can see that what he was really teaching me was that I could do anything I wanted to, that I was as good as anybody else, and that I didn't have to conform to any particular set of "rules" or expectations. The sky was the limit...male or female.
5. He is the ULTIMATE handyman. His mantra is "I can fix that!" given with a smile. And he always delivers. Although Spencer is amazing as well, I honestly don't know what I would do without my Dad to help us around the house. I tell my friends the only thing better than a Dad that is really, really handy is a Dad that is really, really handy and retired.
6. He would always buy my a King Size Snickers at the gas station we stopped at late at night on the way to Lake Powell even when my Mom had insisted that none of us get out of the car because she didn't want us to buy overpriced junk in the convenient store.
7. His ability to let things slide and not get his feathers ruffled. You have to work pretty hard to offend my Dad. In fact, I don't think I can remember him ever getting offended.
8. He is the kind of person that nearly everyone considers their "really good friend." He has a warmth toward and love for people of all ages and backgrounds and makes you feel like you've been best friends for life, even if you just met on the subway.
9. He is loves trivia, random facts and is a treasure trove of knowledge.
10. He loves foreign language and has devoted countless, countless hours to studying Spanish (including toting my Mom to Costa Rica for a month to attend an in-depth language training school) for no good reason other than that he thought it would be a handy language to know.
11. He (in partnership with my Mom) somehow found the inner strength and patience to teach me to water ski, snow ski and ride a snowmobile and motorcycle. I know I was less than a stellar student on some of these (okay, all) and was less than eager and cooperative.**picture me screaming and crying hysterically getting towed behind our 25 ft. Sea Ray** But, as an adult, I appreciate so much his long-suffering because it means I get to enjoy these activities with family and friends. As an aside, the thought of teaching my five kids to water ski makes my blood run cold. Heaven help me.
12. He and my Mom understood that the best investment is in memories and instead of letting us get caught up in fashion and toys, they spent money to take us on exotic family vacations where our best memories were made. We can and still do laugh and talk about our adventures together.
13. After 30 years of being the Team Physician for the Jazz, he still GENUINELY loves to be at each game and talks about the guys on the team as if they were his sons. The man lives for the Jazz and fills any break in conversation with "Jazz talk." It's really cute.
14. While I was on the sidelines watching him wear out his joints (literally) running marathons and playing in church and city sports leagues, he was instilling in me a great love of athletics and all things active. He and I share a love for physical challenges that most would consider assanine, at best.
15. He as much of a sucker for a back rub as I am. Neither one of us ever tires of a good massage.
16. He is the direct source of my sometimes painful perfectionism. People think it comes from my Mom, but this is far from true. From her, I inherited my complete inability to sit still or let things go undone and from my Dad came a sincere belief that everything has got to be JUST SO. It's simple math: amazing work ethic and energy (Jo) + incredible attention to detail (Lyle) = the train wreck otherwise referred to as Molly. :)
17. If there is ever any possible way for him to say "yes" to something you ask of him, he will. He oozes kindness and generosity.
Dad, I could go on and on and on. Thanks for being the best. Happy Father's Day. I love you.
