Every boy growing up in this world has a hero, and that hero is the boy’s dad. For me, I’ve had three guys in my life that the Lord has blessed me with, and I consider them my heroes. My two grandfathers, and then my Dad. With my dad’s birthday coming up on the 23rd of this month, I wanted to take a few minutes to reflect on what my Dad means to me and the example he has set for my siblings and me, serving as a roadmap of sorts to navigate life. Like many other Dads around the world, he might not be a perfect dad by worldly standards, but he’s been the perfect Dad for our family. He’s a Dad who loves the Lord and his family, leads from the front by example with an unmatched work ethic, and also understands the importance of letting loose and having fun while never taking a day for granted. 

Back to my childhood when my Dad would take the time to take us to numerous ballgames, SEC Tournaments, fun vacations, and most importantly, made sure that our butts were in Church most Sundays as he and my mom served hand in hand to lead by example for the future of my siblings and me. We’ll circle back around to the serving in Church later in this open letter, because when one talks about my Dad, one of the first things they bring up is my Dad being Mr. Fun. Part of that came from his love for the Lord, but the other half came from my Dad loving to have fun and to be the light in every room. From elaborate tailgate setups, to March Madness watch parties, and to be honest, the best postseason sports parties a kid could ever dream of, my Dad has always been at the center of all of that as the life of the party in only the way my Dad can pull off. Dad would also spend hours with us, usually as a referee, but also playing old-school college football video games, throwing the ball around in the yard or at the outside basketball hoop, and teaching us about the ways of his childhood favorite, Larry Bird. Mr. Fun has always been at the center of every room. Now, with all our dogs, Dad is right there playing with them the way he used to with his kids. 

Back to my Dad’s faith and his work ethic, two things I didn’t fully understand until I became a man myself, with my own family. My dad is the same as dad belives in leading his family by example, and my Dad has done just that over the course of his life. His faith and work ethic have been the root of who my Dad is at his very core. Now that I’m older and have a family of my own, those core values have been passed down to me as I look to lead my family by example. A few examples that always come back to me when I think about my Dad: the first is him working long days during the Christmas season just to provide his family with the best Christmas. When I say my Dad would disappear from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve he would be working so much that it felt as if he was not there, I always hated that time frame as a kid because my Dad would miss a game or two of ours, or watching our basketball team on a random Tuesday night, but that I’m the head of my own home, I understand why he had to do it, Dad had to provide for his family, and the only way he could do so was to work. A foreign term to many nowadays, but now that I’m older, I’m thankful my Dad did that because he set the example for me to follow, and his leadership made me the man I am today. 

As far as my Dad’s faith goes, Dad loved the Lord first and foremost, and he’s always been number one for Dad. We were reminded of this fact a few years ago when Dad spent 100 days in the hospital fighting for his life after a freak infection. A lot of people in his situation would have given up, or even doubted God, but not my Dad; he stayed the course, he used his faith with a combination of his love for life and his family to get him through the darkness of that illness. Yet again, another classic example of what describes my Dad at his very core: he’s a fighter who loves the Lord, his family, and life in general. Dad is no stranger to telling people about his Lord, the same Lord who truly saved my Dad’s life, helped shape his life as a man, a husband, and a father. 

It’s always hard to describe a man who means so much to so many people, but my Dad is that man. He is the man who would give the shirt off his back for those in need, while using it as a life lesson for his family to follow. Dad loves the Lord, his family, his work, sports, and life in general, they’ll never be another one like him to grace this world. 

Lastly, as my Dad approaches his 59th birthday, I wanted to take a moment to publicly thank him for being who he is and for setting the example for the man I strive to be every day. To my hero, my dad, Happy Birthday, Dad. Thank you for being the man that you are, and for leading by example. 

Happy Birthday, Dad. Thank you for being who you are, not only for me, but for the world of people you’ve impacted in your 59 years on this earth.