For The Love of My Dad

This is my Dad

with Little Bear when he was born.

He is the reason for what follows!

Picture me running around my kitchen, waving my arms, clapping, yelling and jumping up and down. 

Do you have that image in your mind?

That was me yesterday when I got the e-mail notifying me that I won this Kodak camera!

I entered a contest at 5 Minutes for Mom to win this pocket video camera that takes HD videos and plugs right into your computer for upload. I had been salivating over these cameras for a while and saw the post on 5 Minutes for Mom about their competition for the the Father of the Year. To enter, you had to write a comment in 300 words or less stating why your dad should be Kodak's Father of the Year. 

Seriously, they could not have given me an easier topic. My dad is like the best ever.

Here is my entry -

Humble. Kind. Gentle. Loyal. Honest. Generous. Affable. Fair. Sincere. Grateful.
These are the words that best describe my father, my dad, my daddy. He grew up in a one- room farmhouse where my grandparents raised him along with his four brothers and two sisters on the plains of South Dakota. They were extremely poor and had one of the last houses in the Dakotas to get electricity. My dad tells stories from his childhood, such as sleeping with snow coming through the windowsills onto the bed he shared with his brothers as if they were the best times of his life.

He does not complain when life gets hard, but rather lives life with joy and purpose. This was tested a few years ago when his wife died from pancreatic cancer. He stayed by her side and cared for her until she passed away. My father was never bitter. He chose to live life and every time I talk to him, he mentions how grateful he is for everything that he has.

As a child, his gentleness and sincerity won me over. My father never raised his voice. He didn’t need to. When I faltered, a mere look of disappointment could bring me to tears. As an adult, his sense of fairness and his wisdom make him the first person I seek when I need counsel. You see, my father is the best simply because he is a truly good man with a heart that loves his children and his grandchildren deeply. He is a man who has taught me how to live with character simply by being who he is. In truth, the words above fall short. They don’t honor my father, who has been my “Father of the Year” each year of my life, nearly enough.

I was one of ten who won these cameras. But wait, that is not all. There is a second part of the contest. Once we get our super duper Kodak pocket video cameras, we get to make a video about our fathers, showing why they are THE "Father of the Year."

Then they will choose one who wins a golf trip to Florida for two. If your click on the 5 Minutes for Mom link, you can read about this fabulous prize package!

Exciting stuff! Really, I never win anything so if I could do three flips in a row from where I am standing, I would. But, I can't. So you'll have to settle for the image of me running in circles, yelling and jumping up and down. You should have seen the kids faces.

And Dad, thanks for giving me such good writing material. Love you.