A Long Line of Dads

This is Grandpa Nuzum. I have never in my life heard him complain or say anything negative. He is known for saying things like, "We have the best family in the world," or, "This day just couldn't get any more beautiful," or, "Sandwiches? That is my favorite meal!" Every time I talk to Grandma on the phone, I hear Grandpa in the back shouting, "Tell her I love EVERYONE!" You would think that he grew up sheltered from all bad things, but you would be so wrong. This man grew up during the worst of the Depression in a family of six children. Their father was a cold-hearted, selfish man who abandoned them when things got tough, leaving Grandpa to quit school after eighth grade and get a job to help support the family. What kind of man can endure something like that and end up being a warm, caring man excited about all the little things present in ordinary days?




This is Grandpa Kennedy. I've talked about him before. He just had a birthday, and, for his gift he requested new clothes. Apparently the peer pressure to look nice at his retirement home is pretty steep. Every time I see him he tells me, "Sharla, everyday I pray for all my kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids by name. I never miss a day, and I never miss a name." On Father's Day he sang us two songs. One of my favorite things about him is that when he talks to you his eyes twinkle. Literally.


This is my dad.




He is known for  wrestling on the ground with small children and squealy laughing when pounded by waves in the ocean. Seriously, you can hear his laugh from any point on the beach. He sometimes shows up to a slumberparty in the middle of the night with ice cream for everyone. He has been known to roll on the floor in laughter when watching the original Pink Panther movies, which ends up being more entertaining than the actual movie. But, if you are fourteen years old and a boy puts his arm around you, he WILL come up behind the two of you and say, "I'd find another arm rest if I were you, boy."


I know many father's aren't that much to celebrate, but I happen to come from a long line of men who take the job of being a father seriously. The rareness of it makes it that much more important to acknowledge and appreciate.  Thanks guys. Thanks for quietly, faithfully, being great. Where would we be without you?