Advice From Dad

Me and my dad - Miss Minnesota USA Pageant 2010

For those of you who know me well or those of you whom I may have met in passing, the first thing you learn about me is that I have a great family and I talk about them often.  In honor of Father's Day, I would like to intorduce my dad, Kevin, and pass along some advice from a great dad. 

I am the oldest of three girls, so right away I am sure you can understand that my dad is a patient man who loves us all equally.  My dad has been a great source of strength, inspiration and advice over the years.  He taught me how to drive my first car (a stick-shift Ford Escort), that family always comes first and how to pray.  To this day I still say the same nightly prayer that he and I made up together when I was a little girl.  (I have made a small revision - my list of pets was starting to get long.) 

One of the most important pieces of advice he has given me came shortly after I started dating the person that I believe God had in mind for me to share my life with.  He made me promise that when it came to my relationship with Adam that I don't drag things out and instead just let them go and be done with it.  He was referring to arguments and petty things that wont really matter in the long run.  He gently reminded me that girls tend to do this kind of thing.   

At first, this advice was hard to follow but with a little practice it has strengthened our relationship, opened communication and built trust between us.  Those three things are a big part of what makes our long distance relationship work.  Thanks Dad - from me and Adam!  Hopefully you can take this seemlingly simple piece of advice and put it to use in your own relationships. 

Happy Father's Day to all dads who love us, cheer us on and would do anything for us!