Things my father taught me- Part II

It is impossible to describe my father's character without reflecting upon his actions. This is why I am sharing the things my father taught me.

It is rare, when meeting someone new and speaking of my past not to start a sentence with "why I was a little girl, my father..." I never realized before just how much of who I am and what I love has come from my father. One of my biggest passions is dancing. It is not a rare sight to see me dancing at every opportunity, even if it is just around the kitchen while doing dishes. At a wedding, someone once asked me who taught me how to dance. The answer? "My father." From the time i was old enough to walk, my father would spin me around the kitchen, teaching me how to keep time to the music and some of the swing moves he had used in his heydays. In high school, track was the love of my life, and my father never missed a meet, whether it was 20 miles from home at the local level or 200 miles away at the state level. My biggest heartbreak of my life came my freshman year, when I was ranked in state in the 400 meter race, but was unable to qualify at districts because I got called for jumping the gun. I walked off the track with my head held high- right to my father, who held me while I sobbed like a child.

My father taught me the importance of support and hobbies, and he also taught me the importance of family. Our family is incredibly close-knit, and my father has been a major part of it. Both parents have worked hard at peace-keeping among our family, but it was my father who wouldn't rest until he made sure everything was fine among the family. Even when I moved away for college, if I got in an argument with either my brother or mother, I could expect my father to call me every day and pester me until I made up with the person I was bickering with. If it was my brother, he would also get similar calls until the issue was resolved. This always drove me crazy, but it always worked. Because of the values our father instilled in us, my brother and I are extremely close and also close with our parents. My father also taught me, through example, several things about relationships. I got to see firsthand the way in which he treated my mother, which was with a manner of utmost respect. Our household was one in which important decisions were joint decisions made by both parents. I never doubted whether my father loved us or whether my parents loved each other.

The most important decision my father taught me, however, was the importance of religion and a strong faith in God. Though he was catholic, my father sacrificed, attending a Methodist congregration to ensure our family would attend church together every Sunday. He worked to make sure my brother and I were familiar with the scripture, even at an early age. When my neighbor died prematurely of a heart attack, my father told me after the funeral, "We live, we die, and everything in between we do for God". I never forgot these words.

It is because of my father that I am the person I am today. When I was younger and foolish, I would cringe and feel insulted to hear people tell me I was "just like my father". Today, when I hear that phrase, I smile, say "I know" and feel truly honored. I feel I can be a decent person because I was able to absorb the things my father taught me.

* Photo is of my family at my brother's wedding