Happy Father's Day

This is my dad. Glen Johnson. I'm convinced he can do anything he sets his mind to. Need a trailer made from scratch? Done. New bookshelves? No Problem. Best German chocolate cake in history? My dad makes it. Repeatedly. Put shelves up, know-how for electrical problems, brakes, framing pictures, cooking turkey, growing rose bushes, and just about everything else. Dad is a doer. And he does it well.


Being up in Alaska this summer has made me revisit some memories I gathered while on my first trip here, back when I was 12 and visiting my dad while he was working in Anchorage. We went halibut fishing in Homer. The swells were huge! I caught a 24 pound fish, and I got to have the proud moment of standing next to it to get my picture taken. Just me, my brothers, and my dad, fishing in Alaska. I love talking about that trip when I am on my bus and passengers ask me why I wanted to work in Alaska.

I love the relationship I have with my dad. We fix stuff. We cook. We get errands finished and we talk about projects. He explains, in detail if I want, any project he's working on, or any job he's been on. I've called him while driving to ask about how a steering differential works, and he tells me! We made a date to tear his breaks apart just so I could learn how to replace them, should I choose to do so in the future! My audacity to drive from Illinois to Alaska would have been a pipe dream if I didn't have my dad as my own personal travel/AAA agent. Maps, materials, reassurance, and handy road side assistance are always only a phone call away.

I can see his easy charm come out when he's chatting with people. He gets to the heart of problems and wants to help. He genuinely wants to help people. He has so many stories I've never heard. So much life that I'm just finding out about. He has lived through hard things, learned about himself, and has been made better for it. In my short 26 years, I've seen some amazing positive changes in him and I'm glad I'm part of that.

I am a lucky girl to have my dad.