Bill's Musings

This year, my father turned 82. A milestone to be sure, it’s an age that none of us ever really gave much thought about in our family. He’s a tough son-of-a-gun, and has worked hard all of his life. A man that never said ‘no’ to anyone, he has always tried to help out as much he can.

I owe him a lot. He trained me to be the man I am today. Not just work-wise. He is the ‘Dad’ of dads. I pattern my fathering after him. I do this so that if my kids think I’m being weird, then I can just blame grandpa.

I was fortunate to work full-time with my dad for over twenty years. We did so many jobs together it would take two books to write about them all. During this time, we laughed an awful lot, cried a few times, and hurt ourselves often. My dad, it turns out, is sentimental, and loves to reminisce….and why not? When you’ve done the things he’s done, there are plenty of great things to think about. If there was a wish I could have, it would be to work full-time with him for another twenty years.

He’s a man who has moved his family to Europe twice, has held many different jobs and titles (some at the same time), and has had to re-educate himself often. My dad has always said `I learn something new every day!`, which is a great attitude to have, especially when you run a business, because there really is so much to learn all the time. His attitude got us through many a dark day.

Super Father. Awesome husband to my mom. Grandfather extraordinaire to his grandchildren, and is such a wonderful great-grandfather to the new ones in the clan. He is a gentle soul, a harmless human being, a perpetual optimist, and always one to encourage you.

I know I`m not the only out there to have a great father. But I`m the one writing this, and it would be odd if I wrote about your dad.  So I tip my hat to Roger, my dad, my work partner, the greatest man I have ever had the privilege to know. I wish upon the rest of you to have a father such as mine. The world would be a much better place if all men were as kind and thoughtful, if all men treated people with the same dignity and compassion, if all men treated their spouses with the love and care that he does (and to be fair, my mom does this for him, too). He is a family leader, an awesome example to emulate, and just a great person.

Happy Father`s Day, dad….here`s to 82 more!!