Why my Dad is great
A very incomplete list for a person I, and countless others, love very much
He’s always listening. He might even look asleep, but he’s tuned into the conversation being had or the game on the TV or the classical music coming out of Alexa if she can ever understand his requests. He is rarely distracted and I know that, when I say something, he is giving me his full attention.
All my friends—even my friends I made in Thailand who only met him over FaceTime—love him. This is generally a very good sign that the person in question is amazing.
He loves intellectual stimulation and is always wanting to learn. Whether it’s artificial intelligence, religions other than his own, or a new way of phrasing something, he keeps and open mind and is endlessly patient when I challenge his assumptions. He is calm and reasoned in challenging mine. He enjoys the big questions in life—from it’s meaning to it’s inevitable end. He often expresses awe at the beauty of our planet and the expansive universe that contains it and this awe is contagious.
He gives frustrating conversation prompts in the best way. These prompts include “tell me more” and “what’s new?" without any accompanying words or context. They only reason they’re frustrating is because I always wish I had a better answer and when I answer “I don’t know” or “nothing much” I feel unsatisfied and/or distracted. I need to work on my responses to these!
He isn’t afraid to ask strangers questions. This especially applies to waiters/waitresses. Back in the day, this used to make me and my siblings embarassed and whatnot but nowadays, I greatly admire his ability to figure out what he wants at a restaurant without needing to use the menu. We all need to be a little more comfortable interacting with random people and not playing by all the “rules” and my Dad sets a great example here.
He loves to laugh. He is playful and sometimes it can test my patience if I’m not in the mood, but that’s my mood. Whenever I’m taking things too seriously, I can think about my Dad. his laugh, his go-to jokes and I lighten up a bit.
In a world full of chaos, he is relentlessly gentle and optimistic. He often wonders aloud about what the world would look like as one country, one community, united with love. Rather than be overwhelmed by everything going on, he actively chooses this love-centered approach. I cannot count the number of times I have brought anxious concern to a conversation only to hang up the phone or stand up from the dinner table feeling much more reassured thanks to my Dad.
He doesn’t cut corners—if he’s going to do something, he does it right. This especially applies to his work listening to/treating patients and guiding medical students through very stressful life paths/decisions. I am always blown away by how thorough my Dad can be, making sure all the little details are taken care of. From finances to cleaning the pool, he doesn’t stray from what he, himself knows is right. This, combined with his easygoing nature, means that if he does choose to put his foot down on a certain decision/topic, I know he really means it.
He always puts the focus on others and helping them. This obviously applies to his work—his career has been full of care, attentiveness, taking what the day throws at him with grace, and developing lasting friendships with his colleagues—but it extends far beyond his work. He is always checking in on family members, old and young, even if it’s just to say hi. He always wants to hear about how others are doing. I always find myself rambling and explaining things that I’ve been thinking about, and then it hits me that he hasn’t said a lot about how he is doing. My Dad has been through a lot, both physically and emotionally, and you would never know it. Then you hear him give amazing advice, an incredibly thoughtful response, or a uniquely experiential perspective and it dawns on you once again how much wisdom he holds within him.
I could go on and on about the incredible role model that my Dad is. He is a teacher, a friend, a Trekkie, a beast at chess, a lover of spicy food, and someone who takes the ups and downs of life one day at a time. Please add your own list items in the comments =)
We absolutely adore and love your dad as well. I know your father longer than I know my husband! He was my chief resident when I was a brand new fresh out of school RN. I couldn’t ask for a more patient (pun intended) , kind, gentle, intelligent, hard working Physician as a newbie. Your dad treats everyone with respect and as he would family. He makes the world a better place by just being himself.
We absolutely adore and love your dad as well. I know your father longer than I know my husband! He was my chief resident when I was a brand new fresh out of school RN. I couldn’t ask for a more patient (pun intended) , kind, gentle, intelligent, hard working Physician as a newbie. Your dad treats everyone with respect and as he would family. He makes the world a better place by just being himself.