Father's Day is really a good day. It gives us an opportunity to honor a person in our life that has done so much for us. I know how much my father did for me in his life. When deddy passed away, not only did I lose a father, but I lost my most reliable adviser, one of my biggest supporters, a considerable resource for courage, and a person that always had faith in me no matter what.

Deddy always made sure that Travis and I gave thought to our decisions and strongly
encouraged us to choose right from wrong. I always listened to him, but Travis...well, that was often another story! But when we did not make good decisions, he was not afraid to let us know it. He was not a person that would go into a tirade of anger and yelling. But whether he knew he it or not, he could look at you and make you feel so guilty about something that you never wanted to have that feeling again. I have friends that would have never wanted to let MY father down.

To me, deddy had so many attributes I admired that there are too many to name. His family always came first. He liked racing, he enjoyed playing golf, and he would drink a cold beer if he wanted to. But nothing in his life ever was more important to him than his responsibilities as a son, father, or husband. Deddy never missed a ball game because he decided to stay home and drink beer all night. He didn't miss going out to eat with Mama because he decided he wanted to party. He also did not do things begrudgingly that were everyday responsibilities. He did them because he wanted to.

I think deddy's most admirable attribute was the fact that he always felt everyone deserved a chance. He was willing to help people around him anyway he could. He tried to help many of those people multiple times. I can think of several individuals that he gave a lot more chances than I ever would have.

When deddy passed away, many people said to me "if you ever need any help with anything, just let me know". I have learned as time passed that many people say that assuming you will never ask for help. But you know what, I honestly have a lot to be grateful for when it comes to people in my life that I can talk to. Their are several people that I have turned to for advice and suggestions on many occasion. When I think about those individuals, I know that my father would be very appreciative to all of them.

Nobody lives forever. The circle of life is inevitable. However, I do regret that I did not get to spend more years with Deddy. But I'll tell you this, for 27 years of my life, I had the greatest father there ever was, and for that, I am truly grateful.