5 Things 'Adult-Me' has Learned from my Dad.

It's Father's day weekend, so let the Facebook posts, anecdotes, photos of lake trips and BBQ's commence. I love this holiday so much, not because I'm a father, but because my dad is rad and I love sharing stories about how awesome he is. Yes, it's a great bragging rights day. Everyone posts adorable old photos of baby-so-and-so with his or her dad adorably doing something dad-like (holding them on his shoulders, making silly faces, wrestling three toddlers and a dog). I love it because even though I haven't met 99% of the dads being showcased on Facebook or Instagram, I know that dad's offspring and it's an insight into who that person is.

On the other hand, I also get to see a showcasing of the bad-ass moms who pull double duty as the mom-dad combo. So many women in my life have been strong and resilient and still raised some incredible people, without a father present.

While this day is meant to celebrate how awesome these dads are, I took a minute to reflect on the things that my dad has taught me, not growing up, but as an adult. I am 2,481.2 miles away from my dad, but even with the distance, he has continued teaching me into my adulthood.

1. Dad jokes stop being lame and start being awesome.
After a particularly annoying day at work, I called my dad to catch up, which usually happens about once every two weeks or so. Sure, we talk more than that when he pops in while I'm on the phone with my mom, but we get a dadd-daughter phone call about every two or three weeks. I called Dad and we talked for a little while; next thing I know, Dad says, "I've got a joke for you.." As I roll my eyes on the Oregon end of the phone, I tell him to go for it... It went something like this...

Dad: "Knock, knock."
Me: "Who's there?"
Dad: "Europe."
Me: "Europe, who?"
Dad: "No, I'm not, Europ-poo!"

I could not help myself, I was instantly cracking up laughing. Dad jokes are truly gems. They're the mix of innocence and corny-ness that are able to make you feel like the little kid that you'll always be to your pop.

2. I appreciate how much it takes to provide for a family.
I'm trying to provide for myself right now, and let me tell you, it's not easy. As I was paying my bills the other day, I took a moment to send out a little thank you to the universe for having a dad that, as the primary breadwinner for our family, provided a generously comfortable life for my brother and sister and I, even when times were hard. Multiple times, when we were struggling financially, my siblings and I had no idea, because my parents made sure all of our activities were accounted for before some of their needs. Thank you Dad, and Mom, for giving us a wonderful upbringing.

3. Being weird is WAY better than being normal.
My dad made sure to instill in us that being different was okay, and even encouraged. He would say, "Normal is boring, being weird is a compliment, it means that you're different and that's a good thing!" He was right. He instilled a desire to be smart, to be unique, to be caring and to be courteous, but to be true to ourselves and make our own choices. As a self-proclaimed 'computer nerd', Dad LIVED to be weird and to embarrass us and I pray I can embarrass my future kids as well as he did, and does.

4. Dad's catchphrases work their way into conversations more than I care to admit.
Driving around the Costco parking lot a couple weeks back, I was on the phone with my dad and in typical Costco fashion, there wasn't an open parking spot to be seen for miles. While talking to my dad, I say, "Don't these people have homes?!" (One of Dad's classic lines.) I realized what I said, and so did he. We both started cracking up laughing. Another time recently, I was introduced to my coworker's 2 year old son. When I reached out to shake his hand, I pretended like he had a buzzer in his hand and started wiggling around like I was being buzzed. The little boy started cracking up laughing. This is a solid trick that I learned from my dad, and he learned it from his father. I find myself doing these Dad-isms which I thought were so dumb as a teenager and I am starting to realize how wonderful they truly are.

5. It's okay to still be a kid to your parents.
Sure, I'm an adult, but I'll always be my dad's little girl. He still gives me great bear hugs, and dances the classic Daddy dance with me in the kitchen when I visit home. Dad is always there to listen to what's going on in life and tell me to "Shake it off cowgirl" when life is hard. I love my daddy and I know that he and my mom are always teamed up as my number one cheering squad. I'll always be Dad's 'Number One', in birth order and also because I'm his favorite ;)

Happy Father's day to the best Daddy in the world. I love you so much and can't wait to hug you again soon.