For My Daddy

I thought it appropriate for Father's Day that I write about my father.

I love you because you

Are helping me to make

Of the lumber of my life

Not a tavern

But a temple.

from Love, by Roy Croft

My Dad is a builder. When I was younger, he and my Grandpa owned a cabinet making business. He also worked in my other Grandpa's construction business, and then in my uncle's construction business. To this day, the smell of fresh cut lumber reminds me of home.
My Dad is a true do-it-yourself kind of person. Every house we move into, he remodels...and I'm not talking just paint and carpet. He takes out load bearing walls (without compromising the structural stability of the house, mind you) and moves the location of entire rooms....like kitchens, uncovers hardwood floors and repairs them since previous owners are apparently crazy enough to cover them over with carpet and linoleum. He can lay tile, rewire electric, and reroute his own plumbing (which is what he is doing right now, actually). He also fixes cars. If something breaks down, most of the time he can fix it himself.
My Dad has taught me a lot about being self-sufficient. Before I went to college, he made sure I new enough about my car to check and add fluids....and how to change a tire. He made sure I had a toolbox so I could do minor household repairs on my own. He never once tried to stop me from moving hundreds of miles away, though he would have rather had me closer to home, but he tried to make sure that I was equipped to handle possible crises that might have come my way.
My Dad is not without his flaws, but they are overshadowed by his virtues. He has led by example. I look at my Dad and see a reflection of my Heavenly Father.