Three Kids And A Dad

At the tail end of 1991, I went to a women's weekend in San Francisco.  One of the questions asked was: "What characteristics should I look for in a life partner?"

The short answer?  "Look for the same qualities that would make someone a good parent".

Well, that good advice was a little late for me as I had already been married for five years at that point and was heavily pregnant with my third child.

But I sat in that auditorium with a smug look on my face as I knew I had picked a husband whose qualities made him a great dad.

Joe has set an incredible example for his children.

He is educated.  He is a good provider.  He is funny.  He is intelligent.  He has come home to his family every night of his life.  He manages our finances well.  His word is good.  He is dependable. He is fun-loving.  He is a fantastic cook.

He has driven his teenaged children to concerts in Vancouver and slept in the car while he waited for the shows to be over.  He took them trick-or-treating until they got old enough to go out on their own.

He has been their soccer coach, their catechism teacher, their school field trip chaperone.

He has jumped in the car at 2:00am and driven to Vancouver to scoop up a sick daughter from university and brought her home to recuperate.

It was his idea to take the kids to Europe (twice!) and show them the wonders of travel.

He's the guy who stayed up throughout the night booking flights for an injured daughter who had had a serious accident on the other side of world.  He was the one who made sure she got home safely.

Joe has done all of this with a smile on his face (for the most part) and love in his heart.  Our children are the magnificent people they are today due to Joe's unfailing demonstration of what it means to be a good father.

Happy Fathers Day Joe!