Glenn LaMarca, January 15, 1950 - April 18, 2010

It’s been a little over a year since my father passed away. To be honest, I don’t often think about him any more. Some if that is probably because there is always something else on my mind or I’m just to busy to stop and remember him. If you were to ask me why I don’t think about him much any more, I would probably respond by saying that I’ve moved on. I would have probably even said that within a month or so of losing him. Maybe I am avoiding truly grieving like some people probably think, but I think I just grieve faster than others.

I don’t think I ever put much thought into Father’s Day in the past. With all the holidays and birthdays leading up to Father’s Day, it almost felt like Father’s Day was supposed to be a holiday to take a break. As a father, I almost want that to be the case. A day to just sit back, relax, and maybe go out for a nice dinner.

This year, I had the privilege of producing two short videos for the Father’s Day services at our church. The first short video involved asking kids why they love their dads and how they know their dads love them. Anytime you put kids on the screen, it’s a win. The second short video was a bit deeper as we asked adults one question. “What positive character trait did you receive from your dad that you hope to pass on to your children?” You can see the extended version of that video below.

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Patience

My dad was the most patient person I ever knew. Even his driving style was patient (or slow, depending on your perspective). I did a lot of stupid things growing up, but I never saw him lose his patience. When I was a little guy, I threw temper tantrums when I got in trouble. I remember throwing a chair at the wall in my room because I was so mad once, and my dad kept his patience. To go beyond that, he cleaned up the mess I made and patched the holes in the wall. I’m sure I disappointed him a lot growing up, but he was always patient with me and loved me, no matter what.

I get angry with my kids sometimes, but I don’t think I let my anger really burn against them. I’m not soft on them, and my dad wasn’t soft on me either, but I feel like I am able to keep my patience with them like my dad did with me. I hope that my children can learn to be patient as they grow too.

Problem Solving/Understanding

I can’t think of a problem that my dad couldn’t solve. Sometimes the solution was just to let thing play out without him interfering. Other times it involved him getting a little messy. He understood how things worked and fit together. Whether it was a problem under the hood of my first car or problems I had in my personal life, he understood them and seemed to always know what to do. I don’t know if he understood why I did some of the things I did growing up, but he definitely understood how to help me move forward.

I tend to be a problem solver. When a problem arises, I like to come up with the solution. I have a general understanding of how a lot of things in the world work. If I’ve seen or experienced something once, I tend to understand how to solve problems regarding it. I think this understanding goes back to the curiosity I had as a child that I am seeing in my kids. They want to experience so much so that they have a better understanding of how it all works and fits together. I hope that the things they are learning now will help them to have a great understanding of the world around them, enabling them to be great problem solvers as they grow up.

What About You?

I want to hear from you. What positive character trait did you receive from your dad that you see, or hope to see in your kids? Share your thoughts in the comments below and feel free to be as long or short as you like.