Pay Tribute to My Dad

When I was little, I always wanted to tease my Dad’s hair, “Dad, why don’t you have enough hair on your head?” My Dad would said, “Yeah, your dad is going to be older and older, and by the time you grow up dad’s hair will be all gone”.

Today, I am here to pay tribute to my Dad.

In paying tribute to my Dad, I would like to touch upon two reasons why I’m thankful: for the accountability and responsibility he taught me and the optimism he passed to me in my youth.

“Actions speak louder than words.” My dad often taught me to behave more than saying too much. He demonstrated it to me what is the accountability and responsibility. My mom has been ill years and could not work since 1979. Thus, in the past 28 years, my dad was the only person whole family could count on. He had to work on multi jobs to get enough income to support the family. As I remembered, he traveled a lot, but he always prepared the dinner for us when he was home. He always stacked tons of food before he left for a trip. Since then, my Dad taught my brother and me how to cook, so we could take turn to prepare the meals for the family when he was not around.

Due to my mom’s illness, she needs a large amount of medical expenses. For the past 28 years, my dad has been always paid for the full bill no mater how hard his financial status was. Even now, I’ve offered several times to offload my dad’s high costs. He still refused to my suggestion and claimed that it’s his responsibility to take good care of my mom.

My dad’s career life had been up and down for dozens. Once a while, he was not allowed to do his faculty job and been sent to countryside to be a farmer. Years later, he had been welcomed back to his university and to be the leader in his research unit. But no matter where he was, he had been in his calm mode and kept his optimism.

Every time, when I felt into deep depression, he always shared his experience with me and taught me that the life is never always in sunshine, there is cloudy, rainy, and dark time. Enjoy the every moment you had been, that will be a great experience you’ll appreciate years later. With his encourages and supports, I had been through my toughest time in my life.

Today I have paid my tribute to my Dad for the accountability, responsibility, and the optimism he taught me in the youth. Those fundamental skills I’ve learned from him have benefited my life forever.

Now, when I have my own family and own children, I realized how much hard my Dad to support us in the past. Indeed, his head almost bald now. I can not laughing him anymore, because he had contributed all his hair to his loved ones.

I love you, Dad, from the bottom of my heart!

Happy Father Day!