I have been blessed to have had a wonderful father. This is a picture of him holding my brother.

What makes him so special?

#1. He was fair. Yes, we got punished but we knew we deserved it.

#2. He made time for his family whether it was making work a family affair, taking us for car rides or on picnics.

#3. He taught me about nature. We went fossil hunting, observed wild animals and studied the stars.

#4. He loved history and taught me to do so as well. Visiting museums was part of those lessons.

#5. He did not hold a grudge and, in my opinion, had plenty of reason to do so. Others didn’t always treat him fairly even those in his own family. But I don’t recall him ever expressing bitterness about it.

#6. He was always polite and expressed his gratitude. He never rose from a meal without thanking his hostess—whether my mother, myself or someone else—for the lovely meal.

#7. He was a patient man. He must have been to put up with my siblings. LOL.

#8. He loved to travel though his journeys never took him far from home.Mostly he took us to visit relatives, but we took time to enjoy the landmarks and scenery.

#9. He taught us to respect others and treat them fairly.

#10. He loved God, his Bible and church and was faithful in living his beliefs in his life.