My Hero Dad

Last summer Daniel marched with members of our ward in the Salt Lake City Pioneer Day Parade. I wanted to see him, so my father and I met about 5 am at a south valley MAX stop, found a cozy place along the parade route, and settled in to wait for the parade to start. It was a great morning. We drank juice and read the paper, watched the marathon runners, and commented on beauty queens as they rolled down the street on glittery floats. I think we were both home by noon.

The best part of the whole day was being with my dad. He has been my hero for a very long time. I promised him after his 50th wedding anniversary party that I would write a "Top 10" list for why I love him. Dad, it might be six months late, but this list is for you!

10. My dad knows more than anybody about everything! He keeps up with sports and politics, history and business, but he especially knows about God's creations. He knows about stars and mountains and every kind of rock in the Earth. For all the 25 years I've been a mother, if my kids ask a question and I don't know the answer, I say, "Ask Grandpa." He always knows!

9. My dad loves beauty of all kinds. Everyone loves a purple sunset or a majestic mountain, but my dad finds beauty in a desolate desert landscape or a high windy plateau. If he was one of the pioneers, he would have glowingly reported the possibilities available to settlers of the most barren wilderness. He also creates beauty. From rocks collected all over the earth he cuts and polishes, designing a unique silver setting for each one, and makes necklaces, bracelets, rings, and belt buckles. Notice the people around him. The lucky ones are wearing his priceless jewelry.

8. My dad has limitless energy. At age 73, he became a pioneer trek legend in his stake. He was NOT one of the original planners, otherwise they would not have staged their trek so early in the year at too high of an altitude during a late, snowy spring. He knows better. But once the decisions were made, he supported and strengthened their efforts. He helped alter plans to make the trip safe for all the participants, and he led them in miles hiked with enthusiasm and speed. I love hearing the stories of hiking with President Green! He is a marvel!

7. Did I say my dad has limitless energy? At age 74, he works at least two mornings a week at the Jordan River Temple, starting his day at somewhere around 2:30 a.m. After a 9-hour shift, he still goes to work some days each week at the state office he retired from (and did I say the man who replaced him when he retired just resigned because the job was too stressful? That man only had 1/2 my dad's job.) Then he handles various committee assignments with the City of Taylorsville and other church work. His work days are often 16-20 hours long. I work hard but I could never keep up with his schedule!

6. My dad can do anything! This is really part three of my dad's limitless energy. After all that work, he still maintains an acre of stubborn land, preserves all the garden produce, and shops and cooks for my mother and him. He invites us all over for dinner once a month and cooks like a gourmet. His apple cobbler and dutch oven meats are the best ever. He sends us out the door with homemade salsa and jelly, and makes fresh bread most of the time when we eat over. Does this sound like hyperbole? It's not! He really can do anything!

5. My dad is a pancreatic cancer survivor. It's rare for my father to be sick, but when something happens, it is bad. When I was in 9th grade, he got pneumonia and had to stay home for several weeks. It was so not like him to be under the weather! I remember his sadness at not being able to attend a performance of "The Crucible" at school where I was playing a role. He also got a rare eye disease when I was a young child. We were scared he might lose his sight. The worst, though, was when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. My mother was so frightened! How could we lose this man who had the energy of a volcano and the peacefulness of a still mountain lake? His cancer was treated surgically, and miraculously, he is cancer free. He says his hospital stay was completely pain free too. My father's life is a miracle.

4. My father loves his family. When I was a child, I knew my father loved us. I was the first born, lucky enough to be born to newlywed parents. My mother tells the story that as a little girl I called everyone "Honey" and charmed the rough construction workers building their first new home. Truth was, all I knew was the love of my parents for each other and me, and all I ever heard was "Honey". Later, my father wanted to protect me from all the dangers of the world. My mom let me know that my dad was considering chaperoning me on all my dates until I was 18. That would not have worked so well! As a compromise, I was only allowed to date the same boy twice in a row, and then I had to see someone else. It was a tricky plan, and it only worked because I was in a group of kids that dated around a lot. It did keep me from having boyfriends, sort of. He also kept an eye out for me at church. Once, before I was even 16, the boy I was going with broke up with me one evening after Mutual. He said he couldn't stand the way my father scrutinized him during Priesthood Meeting. Turns out, he was drinking every weekend with his friends and had a guilty conscience. Thanks, Dad, for watching out for me!

3. My dad loves our Heavenly Father. I was a toddler when my father was first called into a bishopric. I've been told that one time I was misbehaving in Sacrament Meeting and my father left the stand to come take care of me. I yelled, "Daddy, don't spank me!" all the way down the aisle. All through my childhood and adolescence, and even into my adulthood, my father was a leader at our church. I love his ability to give moving and eloquent talks, teach inspirational and interesting lessons, and be a hero to the youth. I was a young wife when he was called as a stake president and set apart by Elder L. Tom Perry. I loved being proud of my dad. I love it even more, now, that he is a temple worker. Attending a session where he was the officiator was one of the spiritual highlights of my life. My dad was so humble, so pure, so devoted to the Savior in that setting. There are no words to express my love for him! I hope to have many more experiences like that one.

2. My father isn't quite perfect. Once, when my dad was about sixty, he announced at dinner that he had just discovered that paying tithing throughout the year was better than waiting to tithing settlement and catching a year's worth up at once. I was stunned! My dad wasn't perfect? And maybe that's why I was always struggling to get the tithing paid off in December. He said he'd had a better fiscal year than ever before and gave us examples. Because of that, I decided to actually turn in my tithing checks every time we were paid, instead of holding them as cushion in the checkbook. Voila! My economic stability strengthened as well. For the past many years, through thick and thin, I've paid my tithing as quickly as I've earned any money. I hope I never do it any other way. There are other ways my dad still isn't perfect, and I'm glad. I like that he is still learning! He leaves a path for me to follow.

1. My dad is my friend. Even though my father has seven children, he has been able to maintain a unique, special friendship with each of us. My place is his firstborn. I always knew I was like him; he is the oldest child in his family too. As the oldest child, I was able to sneak back up after everyone was in bed to watch football with him in his study. I helped his set up the campsite and cook breakfast for all the family while on long summer road trips. I stayed awake to keep him company when everyone else napped in the car. I was the first one old enough to go on difficult hiking trips, and he let me always set the pace. Because he valued my company, we climbed Lone Peak together and backpacked into beautiful wilderness areas of the Uintah Mountains, the Wasatch Range, and the Blue Ridge Mountains of West Virginia. If I knew as much as him, I could tell you all the peaks and rivers and valleys and campgrounds, but I simply don't know their names. I always relied on him. Countless times I followed my father as we drove from Salt Lake City to Portland, or Portland to Salt Lake City. Countless times he has listened to my troubles, given Priesthood blessings, made me a meal. Every week or two while I was a student at BYU, in the days before cell phones, he stopped in to visit me at my apartment. My dad has always been one of my best friends.

I love my father. My top ten list could easily turn into a hundred wonderful memories, or a thousand, or more. We have plans to meet again this July 24th for the Pioneer Day Parade. You can join us if you'd like, my dad and me, side by side in our lawn chairs, the newspaper spread out between us. We are a lot alike; he just knows more and does it all better. My dad will always be my hero.