Fathers And Sons......... A Eulogy

Sorry to hear all the heartbreaking stories about you guys' dads. I'm with cleanLX tho. My dad is the best. He and my mom divorced when I was about a year old but they had shared custody(50/50) of me so I never missed a beat with either of my parents. Both were loving and caring and taught me everything that a child should be taught to be a great person and an upstanding citizen. My dad was a car guy but I didn't realize how much until I was an adult. I guess he spent what would have been car hobby money on my private education. He remarried when I was 5 or 6 and is still married to my stepmother who is the sweetest person in the world. She could never have children of her own but she loved my like her own. My mom remarried when I was about 10 or so and my step dad is who taught me the inner workings of engines and stuff like that when he build his 77 Maverick "racecar"(not really tho). It had slicks and open headers but I'm sure if he would have put exhaust and a 3.73 gear in his 85 Mustang GT it could have beat it.

But I digress. Now that I am 39 I cherish the relationship my dad and I have always had and it just keeps getting better. He's 60 and is in good health beside his back which ended his short-lived career on the fire department. I've been a firefighter for going on 12 years now. He likes to hear my stories like I used to like hearing his stories when I was little. We go to car events and car shows together. I give him Mustang advice all the time. Ever since I converted him to being a Mustang man(he used to like camaros) he's owned just as many as I have.

Did I mention my dad is the best? He(and my mom) is the reason I am the dad I am today. I can go on for hours about my kids but here's the short story. They are the reason why it's taking me so damn long to finish my car...that I've been building for 4+ years now.

This has been one hell of a tear jerker thread.... no those aren't tears I'm just watering my beard. I am still lucky enough to have my dad around. Or as everyone calls him Pops. We don't have many hobbies in common and he doesn't understand my love of cars. He's worked super long hours ever since I can remember. I'm the oldest of 5 and he's told us that he feels bad for not being around more when we were younger and going to our sporting events or car shows. We all made sure he knew that we know he was just providing for his family and wouldn't change any of it. He's the hardest working man I've ever met and he's in as much love with my mother as he was on their wedding day, probably even more so. I'm grateful for being raised in a loving normal house. On a side note anyone else grow up with a big family and find them annoying when growing up? I've been fortunate to be pretty close with all my siblings and wouldn't trade them for anything.

These are some of the most amazing, encouraging and heartbreaking stories I've seen in one place.

Mine is no tear-jerker. My dad turned 66 this year and has been married to my mom for 34 of those years. He, like others here, provided an excellent example for how to be a good father an husband. I love my two kids and really enjoy seeing how much he loves spending time with them. He and my son are inseparable whenever they're together.

Although he taught me how to change oil, he is far from being a car guy; I'm still not really sure how I ended up being one. These days I help my dad out with a lot of car-related things and upkeep of his cars.

There was a time a few years back when we had a strained relationship because I was an idiot teenager; we fortunately moved past that and have a great relationship these days. Above all, I'm thankful that he's always been there for my brothers and me. He's been and continues to be a great father and I hope to live up to his example.

EDIT: paragraphs make it easier to read.

02 281 GT said:

there was a time a few years back when we had a strained relationship because I was an idiot teenager;

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oh yes... I unfortunately filled that role to perfection as well... which goes back to my good butt whoopin' comment... nothing more humiliating than thinking you're a man, and having a real man overpower you and spank your butt like the child you are acting... never forget how that felt... the physical pain was nothing, the mental... lessons hard learned... there was no question who the boss was after one of those... LOL!