Good, Wise, Strong. I purchased a father’s day card for my dad two weeks ago. The premise of the card described what a father should be. The header of the card says…Good, Wise, and Strong. My father was the epitome of these characteristics. A good man is one who is loved for the warmth and caring in his heart. Dad was not always a demonstrative father growing up, but became that way in his later years. Most recently I remember how he would hug me and tell me how much he loved me every time I would visit. He would hug me so tight…as if it were his last hug. I will always remember that and am thankful I have such a wonderful memory to carry with me for the remainder of my life. He had the biggest heart for people in need. I know many of you here today were recipients of his generosity. This was one of the qualities I most admired about him. A quality I try to promote in everyday life. He was loyal to a fault. His friends were his family and he had many. He would joke that he didn’t have any friends…but I know he knew otherwise. My father was wise. A wise man is one who teaches by the fine example of his life. My father never minced words. You always knew how he felt about something…because he told you the truth. You knew where you stood with him and whether what he thought you were doing was right or wrong, black or white….no in between. People trusted his judgment and looked to him for guidance… both in business and in life. My father was strong. A strong man is one who has worked HARD and has ALWAYS done his best for his family. I know many of you have heard the story….and he had many…..about how my mom and dad were married at 18 years old, didn’t have more than $30.00 in their pocket when they moved from Rappahannock County to Falls Church, Virginia. He would joke how he had to put rocks in mom’s shoes just so she would feel at home. He would comment when we started building homes in Warrenton that he had been trying to work his way from Fairfax back to Sperryville ever since moving to Falls Church at 18. He started out as a painter, was the superintendant and partner of Continental Paint and Drywall, a partner in Manhattan Homes, Inc. progressing to owning and running his own…. extremely successful, home building company, Dodson Homes, Inc.; and all this on an 11th grade education. That is pretty impressive…..He rose every morning when his health wasn’t affecting him, had breakfast and made the 40 minute commute from his home in Fairfax to the office here in Warrenton to work. Work was his respite…….it was his vacation. It defined who he was. It WAS who he was. Work gave him a purpose. When he wasn’t working he wasn’t content. My parent’s idea of a day off usually occurred on major holidays when they would make the rounds to different cemeteries in order to place flowers on the graves of family members. They would travel to Flint Hill and on to Sperryville where we will lay him to rest today. Talk about Strong…….both physically and mentally…..dad went through a lifetime of health related issues. Bypass surgery, diabetes, laser eye surgery, kidney cancer resulting in a kidney transplant, skin cancer caused from the rejection medicine he had to ingest to keep his kidney functional….and most recently back surgery….from which he was recovering beautifully. That is why this is so surreal. An accidental fall in the shower causing a major blood clot and bleeding to his brain caused his demise. However, if he had a choice about how to move on to his next life he would not have wanted to linger and I’m thankful he didn’t have to. He went peacefully in his sleep, surrounded by his family. In fact……I’m sure he made quite an entrance into the pearly gates of heaven. There is NO doubt he is doing some sort of work related task there already. So….dad was good, wise and strong….all the attributes of a successful man. One who has EARNED the respect and admiration of others…….and I do mean earned! Many people today feel they are entitled to respect and admiration just because they are. It has to be EARNED. If you take anything away with you today know that. Be kind and generous to others not because you EXPECT something in return but because it is the RIGHT thing to do. It is what God would EXPECT you to do. Don’t just talk about being kind and generous; as we all know what that entails; practice it. Learn the skill of being kind and generous. If we all were to practice kindness and generosity in our everyday lives the world would be a better place. Self-centeredness would dissipate because we would be caught up in the giving…no time for wallowing in our own issues. Dad….we celebrate your life today. You enjoyed boating, fishing, gardening, horse racing, old western movies and picking up your weekly lottery tickets. You liked feeding the birds, squirrels, rabbits and chipmunks in your backyard and behind the office, with the bread leftover from your meal. Most of all you enjoyed and loved your family. You had the truest kind of success…..You were loved by everyone here more than you can possibly know. Rest easy in heaven Dad. Goodbyes are not forever. Goodbyes are not the end They simply mean I’ll miss you Dad…until we meet again. I love you dad. I will continue to make you proud.