A big tribute to a very important man in my life. The person who pretty much singled-handedly has guided me to an ambition for which I work dilligently and happily all day every day. My kids can be trying. I can be overwhelmed with work, my husband can be working all the time, the house can be a garbage pit, but I have a reason to get up every morning! The man who demonstrates tantalizingly high standards in many areas for which I can strive. A person who keeps me in line when I get too full of myself and lifts me up when I am so down that I cry uncontrollably. Someone who somehow always convinces me that my goals really are reachable....and, amazingly, so far has always been proven right. Someone I like nothing better than to please and make proud.. Someone I want to follow after and serve unconditionally. Someone whose skill and knowledge continually takes my breath away. A person who is unwaveringly kind and forgiving to a fault.

My dad, well, I have a wonderful dad who did what dad's are supposed to do, and more. But I am talking about my martial arts instructor, Shawn. Once as a joke, I superimposed his picture on his logo: