Memory Lane Friday - My Dad

Memory Lane Friday is a weekly blog carnival to preserve your memories for your family.  Everyone is welcome to participate.  This week's topic, in honor of Father's Day, is 'My Dad'.

This is my favorite picture of my Dad and I.  The photo album it was in had gone missing, so I spent a great deal of time and frustration yesterday trying to track it down.  I just had to have THIS picture.  So then I asked myself why?  Why this particular photo?

Because it captures us candidly.  Unassuming.  And I love that in a photo.

Because it shows how fun my Dad is.  He always had adventures for us.

And because it shows my Dad as the leader he is.  Someone for his family to follow.  He taught us so much, in his quiet, unassuming manner, and I'm pretty sure he never even realizes this.

Case in point.  In high school, we were driving to pick up our pies from a bakery in Middleburg called The Upper Crust (read - Best.Pies.Ever).

It was sleeting and frigid as we passed a homeless man on the side of the road.

My Dad stopped the car abruptly and gave the man a $20.  As we were driving away he offhandedly said, "I don't usually give homeless people cash (i.e. prefering to give actual food), but it's Christmas and it's cold. This man isn't with his family today.  Everyone deserves to be with their family on Christmas."

My Dad always illustrated kindness to others through his actions.

Below is a picture of my Dad and I in his North Face down sleeping bag, circa 1977.

As far as I know, he still has this sleeping bag - which he used for some section hiking on the Appalachian Trail.  When I was 13, following in his footsteps, I joined a hiking club at school.  The year end hurrah of the hiking club was an overnight hike up McAfee's Knob (on the AT).  It's a steep climb up.

My Dad....well, he was right there in the action.  He volunteered to be one of the parent chaperones.

I was so proud to have a parent that wasn't just behind the scenes doing drop off.  My Dad was tough!  He was right there hiking with us the whole time, nursing acheing muscles the next day with the best of us.

I would be amiss if I didn't mention education.  My Dad set the example, working a job while putting himself through his undergrad at Virginia Tech, and later a master's degree (even while working full time and having 2 kids at home).  We all knew growing up the value of education.  Having been through the struggle of working and studying himself, my father didn't want us to have to do that.  So he made it possible (by working even harder himself) for us kids to attend college without having to hold jobs while doing so.

 I think this picture shows that as proud as I am of my Dad, he's proud of me too - just look at that beaming face!  This was the day of my graduation from Baylor.  I couldn't have done it without my Dad, I know that.  Thanks, Dad, and Happy Father's Day! 

Want to join in on Memory Lane Friday?  It's easy!

Copy the code from below the button and paste it into your blog.

<a href="http://twobearsfarm.blogspot.com"><img src="http://i291.photobucket.com/albums/ll311/varunner7/button_edited-3-1.jpg" /></a>

Then come back and add your website to Mister Linky:

Next week's topic is "A Birthday".  Got a good birthday story?  Yours or someone else's?  Be sure to come back then!