Father’s Day: More Than Just a Holiday

What is Father’s Day and what does it mean to you?

There may be a slight difference of opinion if you were to survey a thousand different sons, fathers and grandfathers.  Father’s Day means so much to me for so many reasons. Specifically,  I have learned so much from two very influential father figures in my lifetime.

First…my Father.

He is a great man and growing up with him was such a prodigious time. He taught me to love the outdoors, as we spent endless hours fishing. We worked on the fundamentals of basketball and baseball.  He always found a way to use a soft tone with a special kind of gentleness, while also being bold to get his point across in teachable moments. Overall, he was molding me into how to be a great human being. I am forever thankful for these qualities.

I also appreciate the protection he offered as a father. The best interest of me and my sister was also kept in mind as we grew up.  He allowed us to fail, which protected us later in life from the REAL world.  Life has its ups and downs. There are people who like to throw stones at shiny objects, or beat you down emotionally, physically, and financially.  My father taught me how to deal with these things, how to let them roll off my back, and to not take offense to things that have no real effect on my life.

Later in life when I started my career alongside him, he instilled professional traits. He taught me GRIT, how to GRIND, and how to keep my head up HIGH in bad times. Quite possibly the most important professional trait he taught was to always stay HUMBLE and live with humility.  Putting other people first was always his motto! He told me, “The true test of humility is doing something for someone who will never be able to repay you.” I am thankful for the opportunity to work along side my father for 8 years. He taught me so much personally and professionally. I will never be able to repay him, which shows his true humility.

Happy Father’s Day to you, Father!

Second…my grandfather.

He took me under his wing as soon as I was born. I was lucky enough to grow up two houses down from his farm. Needless to say, I was at his place A LOT growing up.

We spent endless hours…

• swimming
• hitting baseballs off of the pitching machine
• practicing my golf game
• shooting thousands of baskets in the dead of winter in his barn with nothing but one small overhead light and no heat.

To this day, he is one of my best friends. (I have a tear running down my cheek as I write this.) We had SO many good times at his place growing up.

For anybody that knows my grandfather, he has some very unique traits that made him extremely successful in life.  My grandfather was willing to take RISKS for the sole benefit of bettering his family.

• After all, he moved his entire family to Arizona to get his master’s degree. They had 6 people living in a $400 camper with no air conditioning! I remember the story he shared about the time they went to a firework show and had to split one soda pop between the entire family because it was all they could afford.
• His second bold move was to start an Insurance Agency out of his home while he was teaching school.

My grandfather is the definition of the American Dream. He started his own business, supported his family while giving them opportunities in life, supported countless nonprofit organizations both financially and with his time, and provided jobs to many hardworking people in our community.

Another unique trait he taught me was nobody is a stranger. My grandfather can talk to ANYBODY about almost anything.  He is a wealth of knowledge with the ability to talk about history, sports, farming, the weather, military, investments, US and World News. Remembering people’s names and their interests is a knack for him. Our agency focuses on this specifically, as it is implanted in our promises. Our very first promise speaks to this: You are our top priority.  I am so thankful for all the time I have been lucky enough to have with him. We are looking forward to celebrating his 80th birthday this year!

Happy Father’s Day, Grandfather!

Now…a father myself.

Father’s Day has a more significant meaning to me now that I am a father.

With 2 boys of my own, I am able to pass all of these traits on to them! I am so thankful for the influential father figures in my life. I am so lucky my boys get to spend a lot of time with each of them as they grow up.  Being a father is the most rewarding piece of my life to date! I am so thankful for my boys. I am grateful to be able to give them a solid foundation in life. Together, my wife and I are instilling in them the importance of being a productive citizens to our society and leaving the world a better place than how we found it.  Out of humility, we need to make the world a better place. I am passing along our family traditions so my boys can do just that!

If you’d like to learn more about the characteristics of an independent insurance agency, check out this blog by clicking on the link below! As mentioned previously, my grandfather started our independent agency in 1968 while still teaching school, and here we are 51 years later.