Scion of NLP

Posts Tagged ‘Times Square’

It’s funny — not in a ‘ha-ha’ sort of way, but more of a ‘hmmm…interesting’ kinda way — I recently had a discussion by email with someone who commented on the My Story section of my blog. It’s the place where I tell the story of using NLP to help learn to control my depression. They said something that left me thinking that it might be hard for people to realize that no matter who you are or how you’re raised, it only takes one person to give you love enough to help get you through the difficult times in life … as it’s been said:

To the world you may only be one person … but to one person you may be the world.

– That person for me growing up was my dad.

Being inspired to think back on all the times in my childhood that I remember filled with joy and happiness, I realized that they almost all incorporated my father in some way or another:

• Camping at Lake Newell in Brooks, Alberta
• Hiking in Dinosaur Provincial Park
• Watching the ball drop in Times Square one New Years Eve
• Teaching me Judo moves while play-wrestling
• Making me a sand-box in the backyard
• Building me a rope swing
• Teaching me to cook tex-mex stew and how to barbeque pork chops
• Taking me to the airport and letting me go to visit my friend in Victoria by myself
• Sitting on the back deck watching the sunset
• Taking me to the muppets movie even though you wanted to see something else
• Letting me rent “Every Which Way But Loose” for the millionth time
• Playing the same boring card games with me all the times I was in the hospital
• Watching the Stanley Cup playoffs together
• Watching the late night news while eating popcorn
• Scratching my back to help calm me when I was violently sick and scared
• Letting me steal sips of your coffee
• Talking with me about ways to deal with bullies when they picked on me
• Trusting me to set my own bed time and be responsible for getting up for school the next day
• Sitting next to my hospital bed in the emergency room at 3:00am with a calm, steady expression of confidence, while you reassured me that everything will be okay

And the list goes on and on. My dad supported me and encouraged me whenever things got bad with my mom and through all those experiences I learned to be the man I am today. He was the one person when I was a kid that I could depend on no matter how bad things got. Now, as a father myself, it is those memories which I use to set the standard of being the best dad I can be.

Forever will I be grateful for all the things you taught me and all the gifts you gave me … and most of all, I’m grateful for the love you showed me. Thank you.