My Dad…
Today is Father’s Day.
It’s typically a day of Hallmark cards, meals on the grill, and carving out a bit of our day to say a special “thanks” to our Dads. But today I wanted to do something in addition to that… I want to reflect on all of the men that have touched my life in a marked and significant way.
I’m sure they are used to being thanked by their families, but I’ll bet they never thought of the influence they were having on someone else…namely…me.
So here is an attempt to think back and to highlight just some of the men whose words or actions have made an impression on me in my life…
- God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – thank you for being who you are, doing what you did, and doing what you are doing.
- Allen E. Cloyd, Jr. –thank you for telling me you’re proud of me and that you love me…most men never get to hear that.
- Andy Danielson – thank you for teaching me how to approach problems as opportunities and to keep things in perspective.
- Andy Stanley – thank you for continuing to inspire me, teach me, and challenge me to grow spiritually.
- Berkley Williams – thank you for showing me that even adults can act like kids.
- Billy King – thank you for being a great cousin that always made me work hard just to try to keep up.
- Bob Lucas – thank you for the significant mark you made in my life as a man and a stepfather…you’ve shown me the way.
- Bob Saelinger – thank you for showing me how to “prepare the man for the path…not the path for the man.”
- Chad King – thank you for being the first person I knew to openly embraced your faith and live by it.
- Chuck Jamison – thank you for your continuing friendship and mentorship and for encouraging me to “push all my chips to the center of the table.”
- David Hammerstrom – thank you for adding me to a very special group of guys that shaped my life in such a positive way.
- David Ripley – thank you for pushing me to do the right things the right way.
- Dr. James P. King – thank you for paving the way for our family in so many ways.
- Dr. William Whitman King – thank you for being like a second dad to me.
- Father Nick Rice – thank you for loving me through all the mistakes and for showing me what a man of faith looks like.
- Fred Hames – thank you for your constant friendship and for teaching me so much about business development.
- Grady DeVilbiss – thank you for sending me to football camp, the many trips up the mountain, and for being like an older brother to me.
- Guy Newton – thank you for making work so much fun.
- Hal Flowers – thank you for including me on the many trips to Key West to dive for the lobster…I still am uncertain as to why I was so fortunate.
- Harvey Jefferies – thank you for allowing me to earn Christmas money working in the hot attic of your department store.
- Jack Cook – thank you for your family that became my family and for driving me home up the mountain so many times when you would have much rather been home.
- Jack Johnson – thank you for hitting me on the football helmet with that twirling whistle that made ears ring…just to let me know that you were watching me.
- Jay Leopold – thank you for being such a great leader, boss, and friend and for including me in the conversations that helped me grow in so many ways.
- Jim Coughlin – thank you for the many afternoons in your Florida office with the styrofoam cups filled with ice and crown as we struggled with completing a difficult project together with humor and excellence.
- Jim Norris – thank you for years of support, love, and friendship despite the circumstances.
- John Kratzer – thank you for trusting me enough to give me the job that changed the trajectory of my life.
- John Waterworth – thank you for being such a good football coach and not laughing when I called you “Dad” after I got a concussion.
- Lincoln Lee – thank you for being such a great teacher that I both loved and feared.
- Mark Hopkins – thank you for leading me into the Bible to see things I never knew were there.
- Mark Thompson – thank you for being such a great dad to my daughter.
- Mikel Homa – thank you for being such a great friend and for teaching me so much about my walk with Jesus.
- Miles McPherson – thank you for baptizing me and giving me the opportunity to build your church.
- Norm Lineburg – thank you for being such a great role model and football coach and for showing me that your point could be perfectly made without using profanity.
- Oscar Garcia – thank you for showing me what a life of ministry and faith can and should look like.
- Pastor Karim Koroma – thank you for inspiring me just by knowing you.
- Peter Nosler – thank you for giving me the opportunity you gave me to work with your incredible company.
- Peter Salvati – thank you for your leadership and friendship and for giving me so many opportunities to “do great things.”
- Ralph Doud – thank you for the many trips up the mountain when Grady couldn’t and for being like an older brother to me.
- Rev. Charles Charlton – thank you for being such a great soft-spoken coach to a young and impressionable boy.
- RG Stevens – thank you for Claytor Lake and the memories that were made there.
- Ron Lindon – thank you for being my coach and for constantly pushing me to be a better quarterback.
- Russ Richardson – thank you for your service to our country and for your devotion to your family.
- Sam Reed – thank you for your significant influence on me to dream bigger and think deeper.
- Steve Cloyd – thank you for being such a great brother and for goofing up so I look better…just kidding…kind of.
- Tommy Hassell – thank you for being such a great coach and for afternoons filled with baseball tossing in the street and basketball games in the alley.
- Wilmer Villacorta – thank you for leading me down the road to a new realization of just who I am and who I am becoming.
This is just a shortlist of just some of the men that have touched my life in some significant way and to them, I take a moment just to say a long overdue “thank you.”
They say it takes a village to raise a child…and I think by reviewing my list…I can attest to the truth in this statement.
Today more than any time in history, our future is dependent on the lives we touch. The reality is…we are influencing more people than we may be aware of…we only get one shot at this life…but the lives we may be impacting are endless…
Happy Fathers Day.