Editor’s note: Karen Harris Tully is a writer who lives in Raymond and has agreed to keep a journal to share with Daily World readers during the odd and uncertain time we’re all navigating.
Dear Journal,
This Father’s Day I’m grateful for the wonderful men in my life, the first of whom was my father, who taught me what a man should be, smart, kind, and hardworking. He took us camping every summer, and tried to teach me and my sister to fish, tried being the operative word.
He was the one who drilled me with times tables on our way to school, teaching me simultaneously that math was important and that with practice, I was capable of learning anything. He taught me critical thinking, and the importance of having good, credible sources for my facts, which definitely stuck better than the fishing. My dad is my debate partner. He challenges me with ideas and perspectives that make me reconsider and refine my own. It’s okay that we don’t always agree. He helps me to see the world in the messy shades of gray that it is.
My husband Mike and I met in college and as soon as he made me laugh, I decided to keep him. He can’t get away now. He is my opposite in so many wonderful ways with his down-to-Earth, rock-steady practicality. He’s a good man, a good person, and I couldn’t ask for a better father for our kids. I am grateful to have him as my partner, my love, and my sounding board for this challenging world we live in, and for his intelligence and high work ethic. No, he didn’t have to start a master’s program right now, but his drive and determination for his career are inspiring. Whether he knows it or not, he gently pushes me to be better in walking my chosen path.
When I met Mike, I also met his dad Bill, my father-in-law. Bill and I agree on a lot of things, and agree to disagree on others, like Diet Coke (yuk) and coffee (amazing). I’m glad for Bill’s fun-loving influence in my kids’ lives. They love his joking horseplay and four-wheeler rides and I appreciate that he shows them that real men cook. I hope his hard work, kindness, and love for sports rubs off on them the way they did on Mike.
I also want to acknowledge my brothers-in-law, fathers Matt, Kevin, and dog-dad Ryan too. Thank you for being hardworking influences in our kids’ lives, each in your own way. And to all good fathers out there, Happy Father’s Day!
Song of the Day: What a Wonderful World, Louis Armstrong
Karen Harris Tully is a novelist living in Raymond with her husband and two small children. She writes sci-fi/fantasy for teens and adults and can be found at www.karenharristully.com.
