Answer Me This: Father's Day Edition

Time for more Answer Me This on this hot, sunny Father's Day.

1. What's the best thing about your dad?

back before my dad grew his woodsman beard

I'd say the best thing about my dad is that he will always stand by his convictions.  Mom has always called him her rock; he won't ever give up on what he believes.

That, and he's a pretty great Papaw.

2. What's the best thing about your kid's dad?

That's right, Chief.  He does rock

The best thing about Mr. Geek is that he is willing to do anything for his little family.  Walk around the house singing to a crying baby at 2 in the morning?  He'll do that.  Sleep on what was essentially a sheet of plywood wrapped in fabric (the "sofa" in the hospital recovery room)?  No problem.

More important than his willingness to get his hands dirty, though, is his devotion to this marriage as a true partnership.  He doesn't view looking after his daughter as "babysitting"; he doesn't see vacuuming the living room as going above and beyond.

3. What's the best advice your dad ever gave you?

It wasn't fashion advice, I can tell you that much.

It's not so much advice that he gave me, but rather a sort of philosophy to live by.

He told me that you choose who you love, and I always thought that was terribly unromantic.

But now I get what he was saying.  You might not always choose who you're initially attracted to, but you choose who you love, because love is a choice, an action- not a feeling.  I'm so glad I finally figured out what he was talking about, because it's the foundation we've built our marriage on.  My parents have had a strong, solid marriage for 29 years now; I feel like that's a pretty good relationship to imitate.

4. What's something you have in common with your dad?

That whole being firm in his convictions thing?  That tends to translate into stubbornness and inability to concede when he's maybe kinda sorta wrong.  I don't know anybody who inherited that trait from him.  Nope.  No idea.

5. What's the manliest thing you know how to do?

I don't really like this question, because it implies that any talent can be "manly" or "girlie".  The only truly "manly" activities in the world are things like peeing standing up, and the only truly "girlie" activities are things like giving birth.

But there are plenty of talents and abilities traditionally assigned to men, and I can do some of them, too.

The most "traditionally male" things I've ever done are as follows:

-graduate with a degree in mechanical engineering

-drive (and prefer) a manual transmission

-replace the headlight in my car

-fired a weapon at a shooting range for fun 

-work outside the home and bring in the larger paycheck

-and yeah, I've peed standing up once or twice

6. Who is your favorite fictional dad?

image by Warner Bros, via Harry Potter wikia

Arthur Weasley is not a perfect father- he tends to want to play "good cop" by threatening the kids with, "Wait until your mother hears about this!" as opposed to enforcing family rules himself- but he loves his wife and children and does whatever it takes to protect them.

Sometimes Mr. Geek and I are a little like Arthur and Molly.  I even dream of having 7 kids one day...

Head on over to Catholic All Year and link up your answers!

Much love,

The Geeks