Hoping to keep walking in echo of father's footsteps

Growing up, we were taught to always do the right thing, no matter how difficult. We were taught that if we succeeded in something but did so by being dishonest or causing harm to another person or their reputation, we failed, and our credibility took a hit.

Dad didn’t take himself too seriously, but he was very serious about being a dad.

He taught us to treat people with respect, to try to find the good in everything, and everyone. He taught us to forgive, to love, to brush ourselves off and keep trying. He taught us to forge our own path, to pay attention to what’s going on around us, and do our very best in every situation.

He was a natural-born helper, and taught us to be of service, to be good for something not just good at something. He taught us that our word is our bond, and to always live up to what we said. He taught us that we are free to choose and speak, but those choices have consequences. He taught us that we aren’t free from the consequences of our choices. He taught us to act for the greater good, to see the big picture, and that character can’t be bought.

He could have thrown Scripture at us, like 2 Thessalonians 3:13, that tells us to not grow weary of doing what is right. But rather than preach, he put his actions and his faith, right out in front of us. He lived it, and we witnessed it. He worked for good, and he seemed to the do the right thing at the right time.

We were fortunate to have a walking role model. We saw firsthand how to work through problems, and to see them as opportunities for change. We saw a man who, when he’d mess up, he’d admit it and fix it.

I’m grateful for having had all those years to watch him be in this world. When I’m struggle with something, anything really, I have a lifetime of advice to lean on to figure out a solution. Even with that, I think how having a few minutes to talk to him would make things easier to figure out or solve. In those moments I miss him more than usual. Lately, as I navigate through life and work, I wonder what he’d do or if he’d do anything differently. Mostly, I wonder if he’d approve, if my choices would get the Dad Seal of Approval.

I hope so. Meanwhile, I continue to walk in the echo of my dad’s footsteps, behaving in such a manner that at the end of the day I can look at myself in the mirror and be ok with what I see. That’s my father’s legacy.

Patti Dobson writes about faith for The Eastern New Mexico News and Quay County Sun.