Growing up I was often was the most “vocal’ of the 3 kids. When I refer to vocal I don’t mean I was lucky enough to have lead in the school musical more like I could not keep my thoughts to myself. I have often been called ‘opinionated’ by those who are close to me . I however like to refer to my “upfront” nature as a occupational hazard of my career choice. I am in a career where I need to be in charge and dominate the situation. While this trait has served me well in my career path, it often got me into lots trouble in my home life growing up. You might say me and my Dad may have got in to more disagreement than I can even attempt to count over what I would call stating my side of the story . My dad saw it as something totally different. I hate to admit it but this may have even lead to me be chased around the kitchen table on numerous occasion. Good thing I was faster than my dad. It is funny growing up I could never see it cause I was too stubborn to look outside of the situation and to focused on “being right” . However I see it now as clear as day that I am my Fathers daughter. We definitely come from the same mold and unfortunately that lead us to a few power struggles growing up. However now as a Adult I can look at the situation and laugh. I also realize there is no one else that I would like to resemble other than my Dad. I owe some of my best traits to my father.
I get my sunny disposition from my Dad. I don’t care how bad the situation is my Dad is always happy. I have never seen my dad without a smile on his face. My dad has never gets the blues, to him all blue is and ever will be is a color. Very rarely does my dad get crabby or is in a bad mood. Take for example this past winter he was lost his job at Chrysler due to the factory closing. If it was not bad enough he was out of a job he ended up blowing his knee out and was laid up till about March healing. However during that whole time, I never once caught my Dad one time feeling sorry for himself or angry at the situation. He just sat up in the upstairs bedroom with his leg up on the ottoman with a smile on his face playing games with Hailey and Cody and rocking Brennan to sleep.
Speaking of sleeping I also get my ability to sleep so easily from my dad. I wish my children would have inherited that trait but no such luck. I remember growing up and my dad would come home from a long day at work and he would lay on the floor and we would be crawling all over him and he would be able to take a 20 min power nap in all that chaos . My dad has also been known to take a few power naps while working 3rd shift . My dad can sleep anywhere and never has a problem falling asleep. I know some of you might not get being able to sleep anytime or anywhere as a high on the great trait list but to a mother who gets woken up a average of 4 times a night and has to hop from one child’s bed to the next, the ability of being able to wake up and get back to sleep quickly is the difference between being functional the next day or not.
I also get my love of kids from my Dad. Like my Dad I think the more kids the better. Those of you who ever has been at a Schiro family party will know what I am talking about. It you ever can’t find my dad just look for the large group of kids cause he always in the middle of it. My Dad is always surround by a group of kids running a heads or tails game, or a trivia game about the Schiro Family. All kids love my dad, because he makes them feel special and they love playing his games . Some of you don’t know this but my Dad has been a mentor for a number of at risk kids while he worked at Chrysler. My Dad took time out of his day once a week to make these kids feel special . He also made up different games to make learning fun and improve the kid's grades. All the teachers love my Dad because they can see a dramatic change he has made in the children that he has mentored.
I also get my creative side from my Dad. Some people in our family like to say we are full of ‘bullshit” But I would argue we like to tell a good story. For those of you that don’t know my Dad is the best pretend player around. He is the only person I know that can play pretend games with Hailey for 8hrs straight and never get annoyed. He loves to tell stories. One of his all time favorites is the story of the bear that ripped of his belly button. I know there are a lot of believers of that story out there.(sorry if I just gave the truth away) I know he has one little blond hair beauty that believes that all the dolls at grandpa’s house runway because they love playing hide and seek and only runaway when they know Hailey is coming over so she can find them.
However One trait I don’t have yet but hope I am lucky enough to pick up is to be seen as a Hero. That is how my children see my dad. I hope my grand kids will look at me with the same awe my kids look at my Dad with. They love him to pieces and he is the center of the world. They both jump at the chance to sleep over and grandpa’s house. I am sure Brennan will soon be jumping at the chance to spend the night, however Grandpa says he can’t do that until we can get Brennan not so attached to me all night. HMMM will that ever happen My kids think there is nothing that is broken that Grandpa Mike can’t fix. Just last week Steve was putting the trampoline together with the kids and he was having problems. So Hailey went inside the house without Steve not knowing and called my Dad and left a message for my dad because he was not home. The message she left was “grandpa come over my Dad needs help.” Of course my Dad called back right away to see what Steve needed help with. However when there was no answer he rushed right over to make sure Steve was OK. Steve was OK and grandpa and Dad were able to get the trampoline together. Grandpa saved the day again.. My Children have learned so much from my dad. Cody knows how to use all his tools from his tool chest because of my dad. Both of my kids have a love of card games and gambling because of my Dad. Cody know his number and addition because of a magic card trick, my dad has taught him. Of course we can’t forgot one of the most important thing my Dad has taught my kids and any one that knows him, the lyric’s to the good ole Mountain Dew song.
Most importantly Cody, Hailey and Brennan have learned from my Dad what real love it and what it means to be part of family that is filled with love, I hope my Dad knows how much he means to them. Dad I also want you to know how lucky I am to have you as a Dad and I take it as the utter most compliment when someone says you are just like you dad. So Happy father’s Day to the best Father, Grandfather around
Here is he telling Stories to Hailey and Dylan
Brennan hearing the Mountain Dew song for the first time ever
This is my all time Favorite picture of Cody and My dad, those two are definitely two peas in a pod
Love ya Dad
2 comments:
That was such an excellent story. It is amazing the things you write. I was really impressed with it. We all love our fathers and sometimes we fail to tell them. You said it all and I am very impressed. I would have to agree with you in a lot of the things you said. The one that stuck out the the most was, Mike always has a smile on his face and I have never seen him mad.
Goosebumps!
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