On 15 January 2015, Redditor saddetective87 asked, “Ladies, what are some stories about your dad being awesome?” Here are some replies:
1) abqkat wrote, “Today is my birthday and I was reflecting on it. First, he adopted me. There was no biological drive to love me, he did it by choice. He showed me that I’m worthy of love — by myself, my friends, men. Man, that guy was a bad[*]ss.
“He taught me to shoot a pistol and a basketball, tie a knot, pour a beer, had the quirkiest sense of humor, looked like Chevy Chase, had an odd fascination with Tic-Tacs and Listerine. In a family of 7 kids (all of whom he chose to love like his own), he did something special with each of us on our birthdays and, even though we were poor and kinda redneck, he made me feel like the richest person in the world by reminding me that ‘some people are so poor that ALL they have is money.’ That line really stuck with me and influenced my views on wealth, family, and richness.”
2) lollihull wrote, “No idea if this counts, but I really admire my dad for this reason:
“He was abandoned by his mother at the hospital as a baby in the 1950s and got put in a Catholic children’s home for boys ran by nuns. He suffered some pretty awful abuse at their hands, some of it is truly heartbreaking. They’d lie to him and tell him a family was coming to pick him up, get him to pack his little suitcase and dress smart to impress them, then leave him outside to ‘teach him what disappointment feels like’.
“At 18 they were kicked out of care with no support or benefits. He moved in with friends and cycled down to a local electrician’s every day and asked them for a job. Eventually they gave him a job because he was so annoying.
“He married in his mid 20s to a woman. He woke up one morning and she had disappeared. The note explained she’d ran off with his best friend, and they didn’t contact him again.
“He then met my mother who was going through cancer and an abusive relationship at the time, and he saved her and kept her safe. They went on to have me and 2 other children.
“Despite my dad never knowing what it was like to have a loving family or a parent who was there for you, he has always been the most wonderful, caring man I have ever known. He has my back no matter what the situation — money, sickness, health, etc. He had that strict Catholic upbringing and still follows the Catholic faith, but he has always respected my lifestyle and not tried to push any of it onto me. He’s a good example of a man who was treated awfully by women from the moment of his birth, but never held it against any of them.
“He’s my strength when I have none, and I can’t imagine how he possibly has any strength left to share after all that, but he’s truly remarkable to me.”
3) SwampRabbit wrote, “In 2013 my dad was diagnosed with brain cancer. The news prompted visits from all the people who call him ‘Dad’ regardless of blood relationship: My best friend from college. Our foreign exchange student from 20 years ago. My sister’s ex-boyfriend from high school. My little brother’s best friend. The neighbor kid who grew up in the housing project across the street and was informally mentored by my parents. I never realized what a collection of adopted siblings we have accumulated over the years. Anybody who needs a family just hangs around with ours until they stick and the relationship remains solid across decades. My dad is the reason why. He’s the strong, silent type who gives good advice without bullsh[*]t and would rather enjoy a quiet meal together than make small talk. I’m grateful that his illness brought all those people back to him. I’m even more grateful that he is in remission and feeling great!
“Here’s one story about a time when his awesomeness touched me:
“About 25 years ago (I was 12ish) I was seriously into competing at horse shows. My 4-H club went to a big show far from home so the whole family went as a ‘family vacation’ (apologies to my non-equestrian siblings). While we were there, we got a call from my oldest sister, who was in her twenties and living in NYC on her own. The guy she was going to marry dumped her and she needed to move out of their apartment, but she had nowhere to go. She was devastated and distraught. After letting her get it all out on the phone, Dad gave her the credit card number and told her to book a flight to the city we were in.
“She arrived very late that evening after we had all gone to bed in the tiny room at the motel near the fairgrounds. When I got up (at 4:30 AM, to go bathe and braid my horse), I found my dad sitting with my sister in the bathroom surrounded by heaps of tissues. He sat with her all night, letting her cry and figure out her game plan while the rest of us slept.”
4) thumper5 wrote, “Sooo many stories about my dad being awesome. He is seriously amazing.
“Off the top of my head, the most recent one would be when I texted my dad late at night because I’d just gotten broken up with. He texted back and forth with me for a little bit (I didn’t want to talk on the phone because I was crying), and I finally told him I was glad he talked to me about it, but I was ready to just cry myself to sleep. He told me that he understood, that sometimes crying is the only thing we can do, and when I felt better, I should come home and teach him how to make my favorite sandwich so he had an excuse to give me a hug.
“I told him I love him and I was glad he’s my daddy because he’s the best one.”
For Further Information: saddetective87, “Ladies , what are some stories about your dad being awesome?” Reddit. 15 January 2015
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