Well guys.....As the title says; I've had my dad on my mind for the last while...STRONG.....

He's 57, works 5-6 days a week, 10-12 hrs a day....He drives a 10 wheeler truck on a strip job...Always is on time...ALWAYS....Never is late...Never calls off, unless its life/death/etc...1-2 times in the last couple of years that I know of...

And....For the last while...I've really been worried about him....He mentions he has issues breathing, especially when bent over....And severe pain in his chest, "Like something is poking me in the chest from the inside out"......

And the last while...I've just had him on my mind....Really have given a lot of thought to how good of a father he has been...And all I can say is WOW.....Helluva man...Simple as that....In fact; That's the ONLY words I can describe him in...

At 57 years old, he can STILL work rings around me....And barely break a sweat...And I honestly don't know how the hell it does it...It's like nothing phases him...Ever.....

Mon-Fri/Sat-Work
Sun-Church
Repeat....

I mean, he's a robot....Period...Never asks for anything but a cup of coffee...And gas for work, the rest of his check, he simply signs and hands it over for the bills, etc to be paid....Never asks about it...Simply GIVES....

And thats the whole point of this piece....How much he GIVES...

He NEVER passes judgement on me....EVER....Simply corrects me, gives me words of advice and wisdom...And goes on....Simple as that...

And what is weird, is that no matter how off the wall, crazy, or insane his words sound at the time....They ALWAYS come true...ALWAYS...

And if I need help, he's ALWAYS there...No matter the time, day, or even the weather.....I HONESTLY cannot recount the times he's helped me, taken time out of his day to spot and give me a hand on something, even if its a simple "This is how that goes in there" and walks on...

Never asks anyone for ANYTHING....I honestly believe the man would rather you punch him in the face than to say the words "I need some help"....

And it just amazes me....That he is, what he is....My HERO...

Yep, I said it...I never wanted to be a racecar driver, I never wanted to be a rockstar.....I wanted to be JUST LIKE my old man....A quiet, reserved, peaceful man, one that never had much to say; but when he did, he meant what he said; And said what he meant....


A true DIY type man...NEVER, EVER has he taken a car to a shop for repair, unless its something totally out of his realm, and he didn't have the time/tools to work with...

And he always has a smile on his face when it comes to me or my sister (She's 7...Yeap, she was born when he was 50)....Not a man to quickly anger at petty crap....But get him pissed....Its scary....I mean, I don't know about anyone else...But a 6' 7" man, almost 3" across the shoulders and hands the size of a gorillas'......Ummm yeah....The 2 times I've seen him mad enough to hit someone....I nearly shat myself....

But my point is, that my dad has ALWAYS been there for me, taught me things, and I've said it once, and I'll say it 'til the day I die-

If I had a FRACTION of the common sense and knowledge my dad has....I'd be set....Period...

He's taught me a LOT about life...How to drive a stick shift....Do my own repairs...How to make stuff with wood, etc....Just literally is a man that is a Jack of all trades....Seems he has SOME input/info on EVERYTHING....THen again, he's had a LOT more life experiences than I have....

Seems there's NEVER anything he can't fix, or figure out...Sure, it may take him some time, but he ALWAYS comes up with a solution to the problem...

And yeah...Most guys are too "Manly" to say I love you to their parents...But in all honesty, its something they need to hear more...

I'm blessed to have both my parents still living, and in reasonable health....

So I think from now on...I'm gonna start telling my dad just how much he means to me a LOT more often...

In more or less words....What I'm trying to say is: I love you Dad, and thanks for always being there for me.

Truly, when he passes, I have a hole in my heart that'll NEVER be filled by anything else....

 

Outstanding post Wesley!

Honestly, as a parent, I can tell you that what you just posted is what any decent parent would hope their kids think of them. And having your kids want to be just like you is more than most parents can hope for. I lost my dad in '97 after a long battle with multiple health issues. He was probably your dad's long lost twin because your description matched him to a "T".

There isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss my dad and wish he was still with us. He probably forgot more about life, fixing stuff, and being a great dad than I'll ever know. And the best advice I've ever gotten in my life always came from him.

Give your dad a hug and let him know how much he means to you because our dads are like everything else in our lives......you just never know how long they'll be with us. Make the most of it while you and he can.

 

Thanks John....And I intend to do just that: Enjoy and make the most out of the time I have with him..

I honestly couldn't recount the sheer amount of "I told you so's" that he could have told me over the years...And been 110% SINCERE about them...No sarcasm...Simply said.....I told you so...

 

Been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.

 

Hmmm.....I'm 22....And apparently bought the whole set!...Multiple times over....


Seriously....I swear....If he'd have just kicked my *** a few times...I'd be a better person....Ad a tad smarter too!


As to what you said, about me wanting to be just like him...

It's true....110%.....I mean....The first part of this song, was my dad when I was a child...To a T...Perfect....
Joe Nichols - The Impossible - YouTube

And this is the way he is with my mom....She's the apple of his eye...23 years after they tied the knot...Heck, when those stupid GGW video ads come on, he turns his head, walks out of the room, or flips the channel....Thats just my dad and his level of respect he has for my mom...

(That, and if she DID catch him oggling another woman, 2 things would happen...1)He'd have a frying pan, purse or whatever came handy up side the head....And 2)He'd be kicked to the curb so fast he'd have road rash on his butt for a year)
Brad Paisley With Andy Griffith - Waitin' On A Woman - YouTube


In all honesty...And not being cliche.....I have the best parents a man could have....Ever...Period...

 

One of the best things that can happen as a parent is the day you become friends with your adult kids. The whole relationship changes along with a new found respect for each other.

The best days of my life were when the kids were born and when they became not just my kids but my friend.

My oldest daughter, now 36 called one day a few years ago to tell me that she just realized she had married her dad. Her first marriage was to a crappy guy. Most of the rotten things you can name, he did. I told her she would never realize what a real man was until she actually had one.

She was married to her current "man" for around 2 years when I got the call. My bladder must be close to my eyes because they sure leaked a bit at that moment

In spite of everything we did wrong our kids still turned out pretty great.

I am also 57 been married going on 39 yrs. We have an 18 and 13 yr old granddaughters, 10,11 and 12 yr old grandsons. Looking forward to at least 25 more years of that wonderful friendship.

 

I grew up in the same world as your dad. I guess we grew up together, but in a different place.I never ask for help, usually I can handle it on my own, but since I've gotten older, I throw hints at my kids. If they take the hint, that's great, if not, that's ok too. I can tell you that usually when one of the boys come home, and help with something, we usually don't get much done, but man do we talk. I tell them things they never knew about me, and they some things about them, altho there aren't too many surprises, hahahaha, been there, and done that. My dad lived to see 87, he couldn't do any work anymore, but man, did we tell stories, when ever I went to see him. I really enjoyed your post wess. Remember, it's not about what work you and him get done, but how much you get to enjoy life together.

 

Uhh, am I reading this correctly?

And....For the last while...I've really been worried about him....He mentions he has issues breathing, especially when bent over....And severe pain in his chest, "Like something is poking me in the chest from the inside out"

You gotta get him to get a check up if he hasn't had one.

I'm 58 btw, and it's no joke when you are talking about problems like this.

 

Yeah, you're reading it right...

The way he explained it to me, was like a inkpen was being shoved into his chest...From the inside out....

 

I agree 100%! My Dad was just as stubborn a few years ago and wouldn't see a doctor, yet his chest and neck hurt when he bent over. My Mom wouldn't give up and saved his life. His arteries were 97% blocked and he needed an immediate 4-way bypass. If you care about your Dad, do whatever it takes to get his *** to a doctor TODAY!!! Not tomorrow, not next week, not "when I'm not so busy", but TODAY!

 

I'm trying my hardest guys......I really am....

He works so much, etc...He has to watch every move.....When dealing with work, etc....

****ty part? He has no insurance......Ummm yeah....

Although, the local hopsital has a nice program, that helps pay if you're in a certain income bracket....

I'm chiseling away at him though....


He was deadset on getting a coal/wood stove this winter.....We had a good "Father/son" talk.....I told him he wasn't getting any younger, and why should he have to keep busting ***....When for the same EXACT amount of money, he could simply get a 30,000 BTU heater, hardware, and 2-100lb propane cylinders FULL....Simply push a button...Get heat....


He did...He has a friend of his coming this week to install it...He's as happy as possible....

But that is just the way he is...No change, until you either do it for him, or finally goad him into it...Then he loves it...lol...




I did talk to him some today though...Made me feel a ton better....

 

I miss my dad almost every day. Dad passed in 99. I didn't know just how much help he gave me. I miss his straight forward opinions. He might not have the opinion I wanted but it was the one he believed was best for me. Dad taught me my values & saw things as right or wrong. No in between no gray areas. He believed a verbal contract was just as good as a written one. Your word was your bond. I believe the same way. Its taken me a long way in this world.

 

Yep...Thats my dad 100%....And I'm JUST LIKE HIM....You better mean what you say, or say what you mean....

And if you shake hands on a deal...You'd better be dead to break it.....

Personally, I think thats what the f is wrong with the country nowadays....Hardly anyone has self-respect and morales....

 

#1 DRAG YOUR DAD TO THE HOSPITAL NOW!!!

#2 or this will come true.

#3. Your opening post is one of the best posts that a Dad could ever hope to read.

 

Been thinking about this and remembering a couple guys I knew who were dead before they hit the ground from heart attacks. Both had many, many warning signs and chances to do something.

Then there was my dad, taking oxygen hits off the cutting torch oxygen tank to keep going.

Guys that need to work or don't have the money--well, how much work can you do when you're dead? How much does it cost to hire help without notice and not be able to be there to show them the ropes or operation?