Genetically Related Minds Think Alike

So since my last entry was about my mom, how about a little bit about my dad?

What I love most about him is the fact that he and I have the same mind. I know you're supposed to be an equal mix of your parents, and though that's probably true, the way I think comes straight from him. I think that of my siblings, my sister is 50% my mom and 50% my dad; my brother is 75% my mom and 25% my dad, and I'm 75% my dad and 25% my mom. The good thing is that my parents get along really well, so any mixture works.

I remember that for our 5th grade graduation, we were asked to write down what we wanted to be when we grew up, and the cutest answers were read aloud at graduation to entertain our parents. I made the cut with my answer of, "When I grow up I want to be a patent attorney because my dad says I ask too many questions." Of course, the only reason I wrote "patent attorney" instead of "lawyer" was because I knew my dad was a patent attorney and I wanted to sound like I knew what I was talking about. My sister and I get that from him - we're pretty good at making stuff up and sounding believable (I've gotten better at it since 5th grade).

Haha OK I know that sheds a pretty awful light on my dad, but it actually is an awesome trait to have (he doesn't abuse it, I promise, and works hard to make sure my sister and I don't, either). But he's always told me that if being a doctor doesn't work out, and being an artist doesn't work out either, I could do law in my sleep. I know lawyers pretty much have an awful reputation overall, and are criticized for being liars, but my dad's been through too much to be a liar at heart. He's seen life at its best and its worst, and has brought himself up from nothing to be able to provide a great life for his family.

I hope I never have to go through the trouble he's gone through, but I know that I would have the strength to get through it because he has. Well, actually, neither of my parents have had it easy, to give my mom her due - both their fathers died uexpectedly when they were juniors in high school. I don't want to dwell on it though - they don't, so respectfully I won't either.

Point is, I can tell my dad thinks I'm something special. I don't know if every daughter thinks that, but he's always been fascinated to hear what goes on in my head. He says my sister is more technical, and though I know he likes to talk mechanics and design with her, he talks life, art and politics with me. He loves the way I listen so hard when he talks about the doctors he's working with, the surgeries he's observed and the new inventions that will give more hope to the future of healthcare. He's the one who reminds me that I can do what I want to do with my life, regardless of who's backing me and who's pushing me back. Likewise, he listens when I talk - he's probably the reason I speak and write the way I do, since I feel the need bring myself to his level to communicate my ideas clearly. I don't fight with my mom often, but I pretty much never fight with my dad. He doesn't write me off as his moody teenage daughter, and for that I am eternally grateful. He makes me think I'm worth listening to.

Yes, he can be so headstrong and stubborn somtimes. He can totally miss the point when my mom's talking and not realize he did, which is frustrating for all of us. He can get way too excited about work, but then I'm glad he loves what he does (he's not really a patent attorney by trade anymore. I could tell you what he does, but I'd have to kill you... just kidding. I have no idea what he does exactly - he basically puts together medical companies and is the world master of networking). But his flaws are my flaws. I get the least annoyed when he does that thing he does, because I know what's going through his head. He answers the cell phone because it brings him one step closer to sealing the deal, finishing the project, and putting his kids through college. Yet he didn't miss our soccer games as kids; he cut the lawn almost every saturday of every summer (his free therapy); he spent endless hours cleaning out the gutters to make sure the house he's worked so hard for stays dry; he's driven miles and miles for whatever we need of him, and he's kept my mom driving through life, too.

He probably scares the shit out of people who cross him in business, but it works for him :-). Hopefully I will never have to use that trait, but don't think I can't...