Mark my words: Dads like this are one in a million

This post may end up sounding like a 5th grader's "why my dad is the best" essay, but it's true.

Meet Mark: Mark is a father of 3 children, a husband, a teacher, and a mentor. He's quick with a joke (usually a corny one), and a smile. His hair is "starting" to grey, sometimes I forget that it's grey until I look at it. He likes old kung fu movies, and terrible horror movies (Aaah! Zombies!! is an hour and a half I'll never get back). 

Mark likes to pick up a new hobby every few years, which has made him a man of many talents. He can make custom pens, twist balloon animals, make training knives, and he tackles several obstacle races every few months. To this day, he still offers to make me a balloon hat on my birthday, which I usually have to refuse multiple times.
No matter what he's doing, he gets invested in it. When I begged my dad to let me take martial arts classes (3rd grade), he quickly decided he wanted to get in on it too. I did martial arts for about 9-10 years, I stopped a few years ago when I got busy with school and work, but my dad still does it to this day. 

Matching UCO hats! Broncho Pride!

Like all fathers, mine has taught me a lot over the years.

He taught me how to change a tire, check my tire pressure, and how to take a test, but the most valuable things he has taught me are less tangible. Whether or not they mean to, every father teaches by example.

One of the things I admire the most, is that he stands up for what he believes in. He doesn't back away from something just because it gets hard. 

My father has a way of confronting things in a very calm way. He doesn't yell or get irate (although I have seen him lose his cool a handful times when dealing with his teenage children, but who wouldn't when dealing with teenagers?) It is this gentleness, yet firmness when talking about or confronting something that has stood out to me over the years and that I try to carry over into the issues I confront in my own life.

Mark is a kind and generous person. He cares about the people around him. He is always willing to lend a hand or advice to anyone around him. I remember Thanksgivings when random graduate students or family friends would join our family for dinner because they didn't have anywhere else to spend it. It was never a big deal, but as I remember those holidays now I realize how amazing he was to open his home to people that needed one that day. I think I have carried that thoughtfulness with me.

Although Mark and I don't see eye to eye on everything, he is always there for me and I feel truly blessed to call him my dad.

I love you dad, thank you for being a fantastic example for me to look up to.