My dad worked a lot of swing shift when I was growing up. What did that mean for us as a family? There were times when we had to be really quiet during the day so he could get his sleep. There were times when he was grouchy because of the toll the hours took on his system.

Those details were just minor players in the bigger picture of what swing shift meant. Swing shift meant that my dad was home during the prime playtime hours of the day. We could wrestle, play ball, and just get to know each other. It was like having free MMA exercise programs.

I remember my dad teaching my brother and I how to play Wiffleball in the cul-de-sac where we grew up. My dad was a teacher and mediator for all the neighborhood kids. In that paved field of dreams, my dad taught us more than how to play a game; he taught us how to get excited about life in general. My dad would jump up and down when anyone got a hit. He would razz us when we struck out, and he was always patient enough to give the younger kids four, five, and even six strikes.

Manhole covers and mailboxes served as bases. The curb at the far end of the court was the fence and an automatic homerun. We were using our imaginations to create our own make-believe stadium, and it was all because of my dad.

Say Cheese

Father’s Day is both a day of celebration and reflection. It’s a day when sons and daughters pay tribute to dear old dad, but also (at least for me) it’s a day for me to reflect on the example that my dad has given me. My dad’s example has been so important to me as I have grown up from being the youngest in a family to being a dad in my own right. I attribute all that’s right in me to the lessons I have learned from my father.

My dad is the kind of guy who could beat you every time you played him in a sport, but you would never walk away feeling defeated. Instead, you would walk away entertained and happy in knowing that you just made a new friend. He’s a very gentle person, who has an incredible capacity for compassion and the uncanny knack for seeing the positive in the bleakest of times.

My father holds humanity in the highest regard. I remember when my grandfather died (my dad’s dad), and being just overwhelmed with sadness. I remember my dad looking towards me as I was crying with tears in his eyes and saying, “I’m so proud of you.”

Bella & Tigger

I think the most endearing trait of a man is humility--humility in the face of greatness. Quite possibly God himself has seen it fit to align me with men like my father and my father-in-law in order to teach me the value of this all important trait.

Within the last week, the legendary college basketball coaching icon, John Wooden, passed away. Anyone who knew the man, knew that he preached humility above all else. Here is a man that never once spoke of his ten titles; here is a man that gave credit to everyone else—a man who was inspired to help others above all else. Humility. The lesson of his humility is what has truly lived on and inspired so many.