It’s a rad joke

Dad did you get your hair cut? No I got them all cut.

GGGGGGGGGGRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNN

Everyone loves a good dad joke, but no one more than my dad and I. There is never a question in my mind of which tree this apple falls from. I am 100% my father’s daughter and proud when people say “you’re just like your dad.”

I know everyone says that their dad is the daddest dad of all, but I think my dad takes the cake. He has a love of “dad jokes,” he begrudgingly allowed us have pets, and he even has a pair of new balance shoes. But the best thing about my dad is the lessons that he has taught us through the years. Lessons from childhood through our teen years that I didn’t know I needed until adulthood.

One of the earliest lessons that my dad taught us four kids was in investments and risk in the market. On road trips, it was customary to stop at a gas station and get road trip snacks. And one of our favorite road trip snacks was pop. Once upon a time, when you bought a bottle of pop, the cap would have a message it would say “try again next time” or “Buy one get one free.” My dad liked to play a game called “who wants to buy my pop cap.” The rules were simple, my dad would open his pop, look at the cap, and then ask us “Who wants to buy my cap?” In unison, all four of us kids would say “me!!” from the back seats.  We weren’t allowed to look at the cap until we paid up. And my dad cheered us on from the driver’s seat to up our bids. “It just might be a winner. You won’t know unless you play the game.” And then the bidding began. My brother would offer a quarter, my other brother fifty cents, and my sister would offer a dollar. One time I offered $5. (And that was the time my mom got involved, and didn’t let us play that game for a long time.)

Was this actually a lesson in investments and risk? Or was my dad just trying to entertain himself by pitting his children against each other.

Either way, nothing is guaranteed and you shouldn’t be willing to part with things that have absolute value. A dollar will always be worth a dollar.

“Dad can I go to this movie/this concert/watch this show?” My dad would look up whatever entertainment we wanted and if he didn’t agree with something in it, such as language or content he wouldn’t let us participate. Our response was always the same “Well there’s only a little bit.” And that’s when we learned about my dad’s brownies.

He used the analogy that if he baked a pan of brownies and only put a little bit of poop in the brownies, would you still eat them? Be careful of what and who you surround yourself with. Small compromise here or there have a big impact.

Work. Work. Work. Growing up on the farm, we learned how to work and the importance of work. There was always a job to be done. Whether it was painting the barn by hand or moving  a stack of wood from the barn, to the shed, to the quonset, to the old horse trailer, only to get rid of the wood three years later. But I digress. The job isn’t done until it’s done. And the job isn’t done until it’s done well. Certain times of the year, harvest and spring work, I would honestly go several days without seeing my dad. He would be up and out the door before I left for school and would come home after I was asleep.

Anything worth having is worth working for, and if you’re not willing to put in the work and the sacrifice, don’t be upset when you don’t have it.

Be a servant. As much time that my dad spends working, he always has time to serve others. Give without expectations. Give what you have. Time, talent, resource. When there is a project at church, you can bet that my dad will be there. If someone needs a trailer and a pickup to move, my dad is there (and my mom helped pack, of course.) When there was a big snow storm, my dad cleared our yard and helped clear our neighbors yard. He doesn’t have to do any of these things, yet he does. My dad is a servant. He uses what he has and does what he can to serve his family and his community.

Enjoy life. My dad has always found a way for all of us to enjoy life. Whether it was family vacations, weekend get-aways to Fargo, or driving all the way to town, just to get ice-cream. Of all my siblings, I am the most high-strung. I was the one who was a nervous wreck at Disney World, because, I didn’t want to ride any scary rides, like “It’s a small world.” My dad is always putting things into perspective for me. Reminding me to relax and look at the bigger picture and really evaluate what’s the worst thing that could happen? (I did eventually go on “It’s a small world.) My dad has received several calls from me, crying on the other end, upset about something that is usually out of my control. His response was always “just relax.” Enjoy life with people you love. It will go much better.

My dad has been my greatest teacher. The lessons have not stopped, and I hope they never do. This apple didn’t fall far from the tree. And my dad has given me strong roots.