The Three Things From My Father

As I sit in front of my computer this morning after having completed a 3 mile run I am reminded of the three things given to my from my father.

The first thing is the reason for my running – my belly. I’ve been genetically blessed with my father’s side of the family’s gut. With the exception of Uncle Wendall, all my uncles have a gut. Most of my cousins too. Those that don’t, well let’s just say we’ve disowned them, the show offs.

The second thing is what’s happening right now as I type – I’m dripping sweat all down my body. It’s clinging to my eyebrows, running down my back in rivulets, and swamping on my sternum. I remember seeing my father sweat in the hot summer sun as he would work the fields, his t-shirt so soaking wet it clung to him like a second skin. I had that same problem this morning. It took a hell of a fight to get my t-shirt off.

The third thing? Probably the only thing I received from my father that is not impacting me because of my morning run – my hair. I still have a full head of hair. Though the hair strands themselves are thin, I’m not actually experiencing a thinning of my hair. Oh, and those of my father’s side of the family that have no belly but do have thinning hair? We’ve let them back into the family.

Anyway, that’s what I was reminded of this morning.