With that said, I want to take a minute to talk about my dad. Well, what can I say, I've known him for my entire life, but he has only known me for less than half of his. It is a strange phenomenon, I know, but it is what it is.
My dad is a quiet man, certainly in temperament we are almost nothing alike. But, for as much as our natures aren't similar, we definitely look alike. If you've never met my dad, it is probably a little hard to imagine so I've added some visuals.
Indeed, the resemblance is almost striking. But beyond praising his good looks and quiet demeanor, I want to discuss what really makes him the June Stud of the Month.
I think the happiness of a man's wife is highly indicative of his quality of character and person. Now, one may very successfully contend that my mother is an incredibly contented person by nature, and that is why she is so happily married. But I've seen her get really frustrated with me and my other siblings so I don't know that the argument holds much water. She is happy, in large part, because my dad loves her. I deeply appreciate how happy he has made my mother's life. While I was on my mission, my mother had a large responsibility she really didn't enjoy. She had to put on an activity that was not easy for her to do. But, in her letter to me of the event, she described how my father, without ever being asked, took care of all the details that she didn't have time to tend to; everything turned out smoothly. His help meant the world to her. This is a pretty typical example of how he is.
My father has a great love for the truth. When he finds it he lives by it. Next to how well he treats my mother, this is the thing I love about him the most. Truth, he feels, can be secure, because it is truth. My father grew up wanting to be a Catholic priest. He investigated the Church of Jesus Christ to prove it wrong. He genuinely investigated it and upon discovering that it was true, he lived it. On my mission I came to admire his integrity. There are many who know the truth but choose not to live according to it. It takes strength of character and I deeply love that quality in him. He is a man of integrity. He walks the walk.
On a deeper level, he is not afraid of untruth. Because of this I have 10 years of Catholic school education behind me. He believes in learning by contrast so he purposefully sent me to be educated at a place with a somewhat different philosophy than the one he was teaching me at home. My life under his upbringing was designed to cause me to question. He is not afraid of questioning the truth. I was never hushed in my incessant questioning. I was allowed, in fact, encouraged in it. As I've gotten older I have come to realize more and more the value of this approach. Truth will prove itself. My father's confidence in it allowed him not to be afraid of untruth and allowed me to explore and discover it as well.
Lastly, he influences me even still. Law school has not been a breeze for me and putting the Lord first has not been easy. There have been times when it would have been so much easier just to completely focus on school. One time I called home when I had so much to do. I was on my way to a religion class, but had been torn over how I would find the time to finish everything else I had to do. My father answered and quietly said, "Chantal, if you put the Lord first, everything else in life will stay in check. Your greed, pride, vanity, etc. will not get the better of you." That seemed to be precisely what I needed to hear. I was thirsty to know why it was important that I keep on going. My own selfish desire to do well in school was my current temptation, but later it could be a thirst for acclaim, greed, and any number of other forms of selfishness. I needed to learn to keep my priorities straight. Here were my training grounds.
True greatness doesn't need acclaim; it quietly is. My dad is, more often than not, behind the scenes. He prefers it this way. But for those of us who have gotten to know him, he is quality, and loved for it.
