Father's Day #2

More thoughts about Father's Day.
I have known my father-in-law for over half my life. Isn't that bizarre? I cannot possibly be that old. When I first met him, he wasn't much older than I am now. He had come over to Australia to celebrate his son's graduation from Bible School. I remember being impressed with how friendly he was.


As my kids get older, I realize a little more about what it is like to have a stranger come into your kid's life and you don't get the choice to figure out if you want them in your life; you only get the choice about how much to invest of yourself in the new relationship. I have been very fortunate to have in-laws who started off by accepting me because their son loved me. Over time, they forged a relationship with me on many other levels.

I have always admired my F-I-L's optimism and good faith in people. He has had a lot of hard knocks and yet keeps going. There have been several occasions when we thought we wouldn't get to enjoy another year with him because of his bad health. But he has soldiered on through it all.

We tease him about having more lives than a cat. Much of our family folklore centers around his close calls. He has survived being electrocuted, being impaled by various farm and work implements, and potentially fatal car accidents where he walked away. (to name a few) Not only that, but he only got $100 fine for burning the barn down. (but that's for another blog).

I appreciate the way that he makes an effort to come and cheer the kids on in their various activities. Recitals, Soccer and Roller Hockey Games, he shows up and is a presence in their lives in these important developing years.


Happy Father's Day to You Dad! Thanks for allowing me to be part of your life.






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