I Only Have One

Two of my Friends have lost their fathers this week.

My dad was a hard working man, a rugged man, he loved me but he didn't always know how to show it.  As I grew up I remember thinking that he had better relationships with his employees than with me.  As I grew older he has supported me in most everything I've done, sometimes with apprehension.


I remember thinking back when I was young, we didn't spend enough quality time together.  Then as I got older and would reminisce, I could remember him teaching me how to pitch a baseball.  What's funny is I can also remember my mom playing football with me in the front yard.  My dad never missed one of my ball games and he always encouraged me to work harder, that's what he knew best.  I also remember my dad playing basketball with me.  When I was four or five my parents bought a house on some land next door to their best friends.


This house they bought was at one time a chicken farm.  It sat on a large piece of land with huge old cottonwood trees.  In the back of the property was a barn that was the size of a football field.  It still had gutter rails where the chicken eggs would roll down - at least that's what I thought.  Beside the barn was a smaller workshop type building where I believe my dad kept the horse feed.  I remember thinking what a cool building it was because who ever built this old building build it with small little doors that swung both ways probably for cats to come and go so they could catch the field mice after all this is where the horse feed was kept.


A few years later my dad decided to tear the old building down and by doing this it left a nice slab of concrete.  My dad and Don, my dad's best friend that lived next door, made a basketball goal and installed it at one end of this slab and made it a nice basketball court. There my dad and I would shoot hoops for hours.  Dad had the chance to play pro basketball but instead of playing for the pros he decided to marry my mom.  He could sit at the edge of the concrete slab and swish every basket, keep in mind this was about a half court.  I can remember him sitting down and of course I would feed him the ball.  He would miss the first two or three and then he had it down.  Over and over he could nail it making a swish - all net every time.  Needless to say he would kill me at “HORSE,” “HORSES” or even “HORSE TRAILER,” it didn't matter how many extra words we added he would still win.  I can remember just about dark as the sun was setting mom would yell out the back door, “Dinner is ready,” and a couple more shots and then we headed for the house to wash up for dinner.


As I think more about my dad, he wasn't much for sitting around.  He had horses and cattle that had to be feed morning and night, and a large garden he had planted, plus he worked every day.  My dad was a hard working man and a great dad.
If I had to say something negative about my dad, the only thing I could say is that he worked too hard. If I said something about what he did so well, he worked hard. He was and still is a provider. His main job was to take care of my mom and to provide for his family, he did it well. If I was asked, what was the most important thing your dad ever taught you, I would have to say, he taught me how to love my wife and how to care for my family. He taught me that in all cases you need to love and respect the women God has blessed you with. He taught me that it is okay to argue but it is good to see your parents love each other too.


I only have one dad and I am thankful for the support he gives me and the things he has taught me.


Mark Grisham