Father knows best

In the "Brunch" episode of the sitcom How I Met Your Mother, main character Ted explains to his friend Barney that he hasn't told his father any legendary stories about him: "Barney, here's a list of all the things I talk with my dad about: baseball..."

I laughed out of recognition. OK, you're right, we talk about more than that. Football, college basketball... Seriously, though, sports happens to be the main topic of conversation, and I expect this isn't out of the ordinary between many fathers and sons. I don't know want to characterize our talks as being so limited, but that's probably fairly close to the truth.

With today being Father's Day, it seems like the appropriate time to write about his influence on me and bookend my Mother's Day entry.

1. He showed me how to be hardworking and dedicated.

For a long time he ran the family business with his mother and rarely had much additional hired help. He did it all, more or less. During harvest time he had to put in long hours. Long family vacations were rare, in part because I don't know that we could afford them but also because his taking off mean that the business would have to be closed. It takes a lot of fortitude to practice that kind of work ethic. Nevertheless, it's not like he was away from home much, especially with work being just a short walk up the street.

2. He showed me how to be generous with one's time.

Certainly he spent plenty of time with us boys at home, but he also served in various ways, whether being on the town council or performing roles within the church. His life truly has been family, work, and church. Although he probably wouldn't want anyone drawing attention to him for it, the sense of selflessness is strongly developed in him.

3. He taught me how to joke.

As stoic as he is, my dad does like to joke around. Granted, sometimes it can be filtered through passive-aggressiveness, but this is supposed to be a positive quality, so I'll drop the criticism. He's not a life of the party type or even a joke teller but rather quick with a couple well-placed words or observations. I can't help but see that reflected in myself.

4. He nurtured my interest in sports.

Whether it was watching games together, throwing the ball around in the backyard, or having him as a coach for a couple years, we bonded through sports. He managed one of my Little League teams but was contrary to the typical image of the coaching parent. His priority was that everyone got to play and have fun rather than pushing a winning attitude among the ten to twelve-year-olds.