Unstoppa-Bill

Happy Father’s Day.

I am on the road today with a father. Last night he mentioned how he wished he could be home with his boys today. That was the beginning of a discussion about all the things going on in their lives. I LOVE talks like that because it is something he cares about. That’s the kind of thing that gets me going… I love talking about the stuff that is important to people. I get to hear about the things that make them tick and what they would do for the ones they care about. I eat it up.

This morning I woke up and read through all of the early-morning posts about dads… so I started to think about mine. What is special about my dad? What is it that makes him tick? What is unique?

I thought about what pictures I might have to post on Instagram, but I don’t have any. I thought for a while about how I’m a bad son because I just don’t have tons of pictures and I don’t get to see my parents nearly as often as I’d like. After thinking about it a little longer, I realized something about my dad. I think I’m working to live my life the way it was modeled for me, and although I don’t get to see him the way I’d like, I think that is something that honors who he is.

Just an aside: I swiped this family picture from my wife’s site. You should check out her work. Thanks, Marah for letting me use your image without permission. 🙂

The handsome gentleman on the left is my dad, Bill.

What are your favorite memories of your dad? I’d love to hear about them. For me, I was surprised to realize exactly what those memories were. My dad did A LOT for us growing up. All of those things were amazing, but they aren’t the memories that make me smile. My favorite times involved my dad in various positions of exhaustion. It’s true. See? Not what you expected, right?

My dad lived with us three boys. I mean lived. He put himself through the wringer for us along with a ton of other people. He is unstoppable – hence the title of this blog post, unstoppa-Bill.

I’ll give you 2 examples then let you continue on your day.

1st memory that makes me smile was a normal occurrence growing up. It’s the sound of agony and moans coming from a man who collapsed on the ground after being repeatedly schooled by his boys on the basketball court. Awesome!

My second example is much more current. Last summer my dad helped me exhibit at a youth conference. You should have seen it. He was leaving the room to chase down more people so he could share about our work to rescue children. He was a huge inspiration and encouragement to me.

Unstoppa-Bill: I say that with a smile because my dad ticks for other people. If you know him, you can’t miss it. I love that about him and I love him more for it. He is an example to me. So… Yes… I will have a tough time today finding time to give him a call, and the is no possible way I can see him on this Father’s Day, but I believe his influence and direction in my life have taken me farther away so I can speak in behalf of children who don’t have a voice. That’s what makes me tick, and like my father, I will work to be unstoppable for them.

Thank you, Dad.

Here’s an image my mom provided.

Thanks for the help, mom.