Father's Day

By the time that I actually post this, Father's Day would have already passed. It has been a busy week as a dad! We just took part in our first North Webster Mermaid Festival Cutie Parade. It was a great experience being able to construct something from nothing for Quinny. (We just found out last night that we placed 4th in our division!)

Even though it has already passed, this was my second Father's Day that was celebrated as a dad. I am truly blessed to be a dad to such a beautiful little daughter and be a husband to a gorgeous, selfless wife.

I can reflect on a lot of the things that I have learned the past two years or even in the last year since being a dad. However, I want to reflect a little bit on the things my dad taught me that has helped me become the father that I am today.

My dad along with my mother of course has raised four boys. Now the four of us of all turned out to be a little bit different from one another. I became a teacher/coach. Prior to that I was blessed to go to IPFW, play collegiate baseball, and get a degree in Secondary Education. My brother Ryan went to college to play baseball is well. He would end up leaving college to come home to work at Steel Dynamics with my dad. Ryan has become one of the hardest working guys I know and a great father of two! Eric, who is probably the hardest working out of all of us, loves making money. He has been working since he was allowed too. Brayden is going to be a six grader next year and enjoys playing baseball. I would say it's probably a little bit like Ryan as far as personality. However, probably the bravest of all of us considering this weekend he just scaled our neighbors house to retrieve a wiggle ball.

Even though we are brothers and grew up under the same roof, we have chosen different paths. We have different hobbies, different jobs, but the core values that my dad has instilled in us remains constant. We are hard-working, we are disciplined, and we understand sacrifice.

My dad IS the hardest working man I know. He has worked at a steel mill since Steel Dynamics inception in the mid 90s in Butler, Indiana. Before that he was working in Albion a Parker Hannifin. Now with those jobs, the hours he had to work proved to be difficult for myself, my brothers, my mom, and of course my dad. As difficult as they were, my dad still made every effort to coach our Little League teams, travel teams, and come to school functions and activities that we were all in. He would do so sacrificing much needed sleep and rest that he would need in order to work again the next day or night. This is a sacrifice he is still making while coaching my youngest brother Brayden and his travel team.

It has been my dad's willingness to work and miss some games and school functions that is given us the opportunities that we have come to enjoy. Whether it was family vacations (most without my dad), playing baseball around the country, going to college, or even helping us in our various careers (Ryan with his job and myself with coaching), my dad has been there for us.

My dad's example has shown me the way to being a great selfless father. i would like to think that I have become a good man and if I have, its because of his tutelage. But I also hope that I can be at least half the father he was for my little girl (or other sfuture lil Risedorphs).

Thank you dad... I love you.