I tried to pick the one most valuable lesson my father had taught me. And when I thought about all that he had shown me through the years, I realized there was so much, I’d never be able to pass it all along in a few minutes, or even a few hours. It would take years for me to pass it all on. Thirty years to be exact. And even that’s not entirely accurate, because I’m still growing, and thanks to my father, I’m still learning. He taught me the basics that every child needs. He taught me to walk and eventually to run. He taught me my manners. My pleases and my thank-yous. He taught me to share. He taught me how to bathe, how to dress myself, and though I can’t remember it all that clearly, I know for a fact that I am potty trained. He taught me tickles and indian rope-burns. Games like tag, hide-and-seek, and he even tried to teach me how to play sports, though in his trying to teach me, he also learned something. His son has little-to-no coordination. He taught me the official phrase of fatherhood which is “It’s ok with me, but ask your mother.” He taught me that I could talk to either him or my mom about anything. He also taught me that if I felt more comfortable talking to him “man-to-man” that he would always be there to listen. He taught me that a piggy-back ride is the best way to travel. He taught me the joys of reading, and of being read to. Especially stories right before bedtime. He also taught me that there was no reason to be afraid of the dark, and when I found that a difficult lesson to comprehend, he taught me the joys of a night-light. He taught me how to ride my tricycle, and he taught me the importance of doing your best in school. He taught me that to be a man meant that there was no shame in crying, but that many things a boy might cry over would not be the things a man would cry over. He taught me the importance of being humble, and the importance of self-respect. He taught me how to be both at the same time. As I grew from child to young boy, he taught me about respect and dignity. He taught me kindness, patience, and compromise. Any man could have taught me the words, but only a man like my father could have taught me the ideas and the meanings behind those words. As I got older, the things he taught me became more valuable still. Teenagers (myself included at the time) are harder to teach though, because most of us feel like we know it all by that point. But still he showed me how to pick not just friends, but really good friends, whom often felt more like brothers than just friends. He taught me that there was a difference between girls and women, though I was always fond of both. He taught me how to deal with heartbreaks, each more seemingly detrimental than the last. It was around this time that he introduced me to one of my favorite loves: music. He taught me the fine line between firm but fair. And he taught me all the things that a father can teach to help make the transition from young adult to adult. I never quite learned the ins and outs of dating, though I learned enough to eventually find myself married, and even better yet, married to a wonderful woman. Marriage is tricky, and is not something that can be taught per se, or at least taught with words. I looked at my father’s actions through his 34 years of marriage with my mother for inspiration. This was not as much of a teaching but more of a blueprint. As I said before, he taught me patience and compromise, kindness and the ability to be a good listener, but I had never seen it all so perfectly blended, or so flawlessely executed. My father taught me how to honor, cherish, and obey. He taught me how to quell an argument should one arise. He taught me that love and trust are the foundation to a marriage. Trust and unconditional love are keys to a good marriage. Fatherhood is not only the toughest challenge a man can face, but also the greatest responsibility he may shoulder. The lessons a father may teach his son, certainly the lessons my father taught me, they serve a duel purpose. My father taught me all I needed to know to become not just a man, but I hope good man, such as himself. But the lessons I’ve learned from him are also there to help me teach my own son and daughter. Even though my father has passed, he still teaches me. Towards the end of writing this I stopped and took some time to watch my own kids sleeping. And as they slept, and as I watched, I thought of my father’s passing and missed him dearly. And it’s not until that moment that I learned not only the greatest lesson he had to teach, but also the hardest. It’s the one lesson he could only teach in death and that is this: though he’s gone, he never stops guiding me, he never stops advising me, and he never stops teaching me. He’s gone, but the things he’s taught don’t me don’t die. The teaching begins again with his grandchildren. I now have my own son and daughter to raise and to teach them what my father taught me. And I love my father and thank him very much to this day. Now I know he taught me well, so I can teach them better…