What makes a good father?
Growing up my dad was gone a lot. He worked long hours. He was the bishop of a needy ward. He had horses that needed to be taken care of. I look back at how much my mom did by herself and tease that for a number of years she was a single parent (except for financially).
This summer I have had a lot of single parent moments and days. I now seem to have to go it alone on a lot of levels. He is never home to keep kids occupied while I prepare dinner. He hasn’t been able to go lots of places we have. I take the kids grocery shopping and I take the kids to run errands. We go to the movie by ourselves. Off to the pool and out with friends. We mini vacation and do tourist attraction. So many moments without him. When four kids need my attention, three end up crying because I do not have enough to go around. Sometimes Daddy just isn’t around to fill in the gaps.
I remember my daddy reading to us The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales while we lay in bed. He gave me piggy back rides. He sang songs with us (some of my favorite are still the ones we sang on the Waterton trails, always instigated by my mother). He gave me a priesthood blessing whenever I need one. By example he has shown me the true love of Christ. When I was around ten or eleven I had a bad night. My dad took me in his arms, in a special spot of our house and told me he loved me. He wanted me to remember for the rest of my life how much he loved me and how safe I felt in his arms at that moment. . . . I still do. THAT’S what makes a good father.
Growing up my dad was gone a lot. He worked long hours. He was the bishop of a needy ward. He had horses that needed to be taken care of. I look back at how much my mom did by herself and tease that for a number of years she was a single parent (except for financially).
This summer I have had a lot of single parent moments and days. I now seem to have to go it alone on a lot of levels. He is never home to keep kids occupied while I prepare dinner. He hasn’t been able to go lots of places we have. I take the kids grocery shopping and I take the kids to run errands. We go to the movie by ourselves. Off to the pool and out with friends. We mini vacation and do tourist attraction. So many moments without him. When four kids need my attention, three end up crying because I do not have enough to go around. Sometimes Daddy just isn’t around to fill in the gaps.
I remember my daddy reading to us The Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales while we lay in bed. He gave me piggy back rides. He sang songs with us (some of my favorite are still the ones we sang on the Waterton trails, always instigated by my mother). He gave me a priesthood blessing whenever I need one. By example he has shown me the true love of Christ. When I was around ten or eleven I had a bad night. My dad took me in his arms, in a special spot of our house and told me he loved me. He wanted me to remember for the rest of my life how much he loved me and how safe I felt in his arms at that moment. . . . I still do. THAT’S what makes a good father.
Gentry wrestles with his kids. He gives kisses. He teaches them how to treat me. He changes diapers. He makes up silly stories about daddy snakes and two loin brother. Gentry scares the monsters away in the middle of the night. He leads us in family scripture study. He does everything he possibly can. Gentry give every day to his family. THAT’S what makes a good father. 
Thank you Gentry and Dad for being the men in my life.
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