On Your Side (810) 966-WINS (9467)
June 2018
The Two Most Important Men in My Life Celebrating My Dad and Husband This Father’s Day
W ith Father’s Day fast supportive men in my life. Between my own dad and my husband Shawn, I couldn’t ask for two more generous, kind, and amazing people to have by my side throughout my life. First there’s my father, a retired computer programmer who used to be in the Air Force. Growing up, he worked at LAX in California and was forced to travel a lot for his job, but I never felt like that harmed our relationship. He was a total provider for our family, constantly working as hard as possible to ensure we never went without. Ever since working in my grandparents’ Niagara Falls gas station as a little kid, work was just part of who he was. Even now, relaxing in his retirement on the San Juan Islands, I’m pretty sure he’s still contracting out computer work to keep busy. I don’t get to see him too often, probably meeting up once or twice a year to catch up and have a few laughs, but he’s left an indelible influence on my own work ethic and the way I do things. In many ways, he was the perfect example for a young woman looking to achieve independence as I got older, and he encouraged me at every step to do great things. Then there’s my husband, Shawn, whom I’ve written about in the newsletter before, but whose importance to me just can’t be overstated. I honestly can’t imagine a better father to our children, or a man more eager to be present in approaching, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about the
their lives and provide the guidance they need to live happy, fulfilled lives. I was at one of the kid’s baseball games the other day, with Shawn coaching, and I suddenly thought to myself, “This guy doesn’t have to coach these kids at all — he could be doing anything else!” But it just speaks to his devotion that he spends hundreds of hours every month running drills and providing vital life lessons to these young kids. He’s close with all of our kids, each in a way that meshes with their personalities. Whether he’s talking politics with my oldest, Hannah, or watching baseball with Zach, he meets them exactly where they are. Occasionally, though, we’ll roll our eyes at him: In our family, he’s known as “The Explainer,” answering every simple question with an elaborate, drawn-out, encyclopedic response. But really, I appreciate his wide breadth of knowledge and curiosity about the world, and I’m sure it serves him well as a teacher of U.S. history, political junkie that he is. This Father’s Day, we’ll be where we always are during the summer: at a baseball tournament. But the kids will write him a nice card and maybe give him a gift or two, and we always give him the choice of dinner after the games are over. Meanwhile, I’ll give my own dad a call and hopefully let him know just how much he’s meant to me throughout the years. This Father’s Day might be a little bittersweet, as it’s only the second year Shawn’s had to celebrate the holiday since
Shawn with our beautiful children
his own father passed, but I’ll definitely make sure the two most important men in my life feel as valued as they truly are.
–Nicole Winston
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