It's father's day, which is tough for me because I have the best dad in the world, but no good way to reward him for it. My brother and I always try to think of gifts, but he's hard to buy for. If we were to get anything good, the money we spend would mostly just make us that much further away from paying for college- so technically, any money I do have I owe back to him anyway and he's just being nice by not taking it yet. My mom suggested we make him something; when she had surgery, Harrison and I made a DVD of us singing and playing ukulele. It was pretty cute, but neither of us were up for that task this year.
So what am I good at? Knitting. Getting in trouble when it seems statistically unfair.Writing. Buffy the Vampire Slayer Trivia. Chicken Quesadillas.
Since only one of those talents seemed useful, I was going to write a letter, but that seemed unimpressive and lame. So instead, I'm dedicating this blog post to David Greene, father of the year.
10 Reasons Dave Greene is an Awesome Father:
1. He's so undeniably lovable! Little kids love him, puppies love him, my friends love him. It's funny, because his brother can come off as intimidating and scary (only if you don't know him- my uncle PAG is one of the biggest softies I know), but Dad is rarely anything but warm and inviting.
2. He handles stress like a pro. My mom and I are incredibly anxious women, and can make ourselves sick with worry. Dad is the opposite. When we drive in busy traffic, Mom will cower while Dad will just say "Well, we need to do it, so we just do." When we got a flat tire on the side of the highway, he just calmly fixed it and told us not to stand too close to the road. When I was a little girl, way before cell phones or walkie talkies, he and I got separated from Mom and Harrison in Disney world. Looking back, that could have been incredibly scary for 6 year old Paige, but all I remember from the ordeal is that we walked around in circles and I got to see a Parrot. I don't even really know how long we were separated- I think when he tells the story it's between half hour and an hour. But still. Totally calm in a crisis.
3. Dad carries joy with him and has the most positive attitude. He doesn't allow negative situations to get the better of him, and just shrugs it off and smiles. This is one of the most important qualities I learned from my father- when something is bad, it will just be a funny story to tell later, so it's not worth it to fuss. The more positive you are, the happier you are. He works some crazy ridiculous hours, but he never complains, because he just won't let that kind of negative thinking pollute his life. That's pretty cool.
4. He's a manager. Sometimes, this can be a huge pain in the ass, and you have to remind him ("you" here meaning his 21 year old daughter) to listen instead of just try to handle a situation. And sometimes what you need is for someone to just tell you what to do. But when he does just listen, he's full of surprisingly sage wisdom. Once after a breakup, he came and told me about how boys were stupid but would be fine, and that life will go on, using his own life experience as a reference. He also handles situations with grace and poise, which is a remarkably valuable quality to have as the parent of Paige Greene. He somehow managed to both chide and comfort me at the same time when he called after discovering I was being summoned to the Berea court, and I cried after I got his voicemail responding to the email that revealed I had gotten a tattoo. Not because he yelled, or was mean, but because he made it clear that he loved me anyway and it was fine.
Often in our relationship, I do something wrong, give myself an ulcer worrying about it and how he will react, panic for a while about it, and then make myself sick. He will notice this, surprise me by being not all that mad, and remind me to knock it off. You would think after 21 years I would realize that Dad knows I'm a good kid, but for whatever reason I'm constantly trying to prove it and he's constantly reminding me not to. This means a lot to me, simply because he knows me well enough not to release his wrath- he knows I don't need it to learn from my mistakes, so he just doesn't. However, this may be directed to my fear of getting yelled at and/or punished by authority.
5. I have damaged 3 of my father's cars in the 4 short years I have had a driving license. Not only has he forgiven me, but he also doesn't use it against me. I dropped a bike handle THROUGH his corvette. Not on, like I dented it, but the whole thing went THROUGH the front of the car. While it's a good story now, he rarely brings it up unless I do first. There's no need to. (Although I will note, he really doesn't like me driving his Honda. But since he so generously allows me to use his Buick, it isn't a problem. And it's not like it would offend me either way. I'm not a great driver.)
6. Dad is a kid at heart. He buys little toys at Christmas for his nephews to play with (like hot wheels and toy soldiers). He watches Phineas and Ferb. He sings along to Thriftshop. He tells me stories about dragons, and saving my from skinned knees. I catch him having polite conversations with my pet rat. He's a goofball, and that's what makes him so genuinely fun to be around!
7. Dad once told me to stand up straight and be proud of who I am (sort of. If you're a Greene, you'll know what I'm talking about. If not, you kind of had to be there.) Sometimes at school when I just feel lost, I remember the kind of person my dad sees me as, and know that I can be proud of that person. Having someone that loves you and sees you the way my dad does- as both his little girl and a woman that has to make grown up choices- makes it easier to somehow mesh all those personalities and stay true to myself.
8. Dad is incredibly selfless. He just wants everyone to be happy, and he loves his family so much-- one time, we were on vacation in North Carolina and I was just tired and grumpy and sick and miserable. We went to a sea food restaurant, and I didn't complain but was fairly unhappy (because I'm a picky brat, and I hate sea food). Next thing I know, Dad has disappeared-- and comes back with a Burger King bag of chicken nuggets for me. It may seem silly, but it's the little things like that that make me love my dad that much more. If there's something he can do to make you happy, he does it. Now that I'm older and trying to be less dainty, sometimes I notice that he and I tiptoe around each other- me to try to keep from upsetting him, and him to keep from upsetting me. But neither one of us really did anything to upset the other. When we went to Maine, he told me he wouldn't be mad if I didn't use the fishing license he got me, not because he cared either way, but because he knew I was worried about HIM being upset if I didn't use it. He just wants everyone to be happy.
9. My dad is a super hard worker. He had kind of a slow start when it came to getting a degree, but he really is the American Dream, Work Hard and It Will Pay Off story. So not only have I learned his determination, but some basic professional etiquette. He's like my own personal career services, and can help me with all my business world questions. I've even had a friend call him to ask what interview questions she should anticipate for a job she was applying for, and what the best answers were. I know how to market myself to employers and what makes a good employee, because my dad started there and worked his way up. It's true, he gets a little surly if we're running late, but because of that I'm always in class or meetings 5 minutes early.
10. He married my mom! This is probably the best thing my Dad ever did for me. He loves and supports her, and they make a great team. While it seems like a no-brainer, if my parents weren't together it would be pretty devastating, so I think it deserves mention. My mom gets some flack from people for deciding to be a stay home, but it's always been clear that our family dynamic is perfect just the way it is. She helps to remind him to listen more and manage less, and he helps her to remember not to sweat the small stuff, and they both remind Harrison and I that marriage is hard, and loving someone means it's worth the work, not that there won't be any. I have some stellar parents that make for great role models on how to love, and I could not be prouder.
So here's to my trumpet playing, old car loving, early rising, almost-libertarian-but-mostly-republican, fun chasing, bright-orange-shirt-wearing father. I love you!
