The Three Fathers

My parents taught me that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me.

My dad taught me what it’s like to have a father who loves you.

So I get that my Heavenly Father loves me too.

I’m not sure what better gift my dad could have given me (although I really liked all the silver jewelry).

Linn gave me a son. A good strong well taught son.

Linn is the kind of grandfather that played on the floor and let the babies crawl over him. He’s the kind of grandfather who listens.

I know, because I’ve got the kind of children who like to talk.

And then there’s Adam.

I could write a book about all the things I didn’t know about Adam when we got married.

Here are some of the things I didn’t know about what he’d be like as a father.

1. I didn’t know what Adam would be like in the delivery room. I can’t imagine how he could have been better. He even let me squeeze his hand so hard when Emma was being born that he couldn’t write the next day.

2. I didn’t know that Adam would be a perfectly trustworthy father. Never too rough with babies. Never giving me a cause to worry. Ever.

3. I didn’t know about the Dad Voice. It stops running away toddlers in their tracks and can bring a discordant room (or van) to silence. It can penetrate through closed doors to bring everyone to dinner. I really like the Dad Voice.

4. I didn’t know the kind of provider Adam would be. He went from not wanting to spend his money on someone else’s wife (seriously, he had other good qualities) to working incredibly long hours for money he never sees so our children and I can have the good things of life.

5. I didn’t know how important my happiness would be to Adam. I didn’t know he’d be willing to step in uncomplaining and with irritating competence every year so I could go away to Women’s Conference.

6. I didn’t know how calm Adam would be as a father in the face of illness/misbehavior/problems in general with our children. And how calm I would not be.

7. I didn’t know Adam would be The Church Nazi and teach our kids to sit quietly sans snacks or books or toys. I didn’t think it could be done. I thought wrong.

8. I didn’t know that Adam would be the instigator, prodder and insister of reading the Book of Mormon to our kids each night.

9. I didn’t know our kids would fight for the privilege of riding with their dad (preferably alone) if we were ever en route somewhere in two cars. I didn’t know I’d be such a boring second-class citizen.

10. I didn’t know Adam would let our kids climb all over him (like his dad).

11. I didn’t know I would marry someone who made me and our children laugh every day (like my dad).

Happy Father’s Day to the three most important, best-loved dads in my life. I love and appreciate you.