Our family has its own Stott Family Facebook site. Last month, out of curiosity, I asked the kids to name something they have learned from their dad. These are their replies:
Eric: How to analyze a decision by looking at all the pros/cons and thinking through the possible outcomes.
Cheryl: How to plan a good vacation, work hard, and definitely what Eric said.
Ryan: How to make lists, work hard, and get things done.
Kyle: Besides all of the above, I learned how to be kind, patient, and understanding. I don't recall dad ever losing his temper. One time, thinking it was a friend walking through the garage door and not dad, I came around the corner and threw a ball the moment the door opened. The ball hit dad square in the face. He totally kept his cool and understood that it was a mistake. (By the way, Alan doesn't remember this incident)
Jared: *Hard work. Dad has never been afraid to do work. He works during the week at his office, around the house on Saturdays, and in his church callings on Sunday.
*Always be prepared. Dad will always plan trips or other things down to the smallest detail. He will usually create a list and check off things to ensure he has everything.
*Not to worry about what others think. Dad doesn't have to drive a nice car or dress in fancy clothes.
*Be frugal. This is probably the biggest trait or thing I have learned from Dad. He doesn't like to spend money on unimportant things.
I thought all of these responses from our children were great. They really captured what Alan is like. I'm glad I married someone who taught our children these things. He really was a great father.
Jared: *Hard work. Dad has never been afraid to do work. He works during the week at his office, around the house on Saturdays, and in his church callings on Sunday.
*Always be prepared. Dad will always plan trips or other things down to the smallest detail. He will usually create a list and check off things to ensure he has everything.
*Not to worry about what others think. Dad doesn't have to drive a nice car or dress in fancy clothes.
*Be frugal. This is probably the biggest trait or thing I have learned from Dad. He doesn't like to spend money on unimportant things.
I thought all of these responses from our children were great. They really captured what Alan is like. I'm glad I married someone who taught our children these things. He really was a great father.
I learned so many things from my own father, but one thing that stands out is the value of hard work. He either grew (garden), raised (beef, pigs, sheep), or hunted for (deer, pheasants, fish) most everything our family of nine ate. He worked so hard to keep food on our table.
I also learned about forgiveness one cold winter day while driving Dad's Ford Falcon. I slid on the icy road right into the back end of our neighbor's car. The whole front end of the Falcon was badly damaged. Fortunately, only the tail light of our neighbor's car was damaged. I felt horrible and couldn't face Dad. He came to me, smoothed things over, and told me not to worry about it. I couldn't believe how forgiving he was. I will never forget that.
I also learned about forgiveness one cold winter day while driving Dad's Ford Falcon. I slid on the icy road right into the back end of our neighbor's car. The whole front end of the Falcon was badly damaged. Fortunately, only the tail light of our neighbor's car was damaged. I felt horrible and couldn't face Dad. He came to me, smoothed things over, and told me not to worry about it. I couldn't believe how forgiving he was. I will never forget that.
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