My Dad Is...

My Dad is an Educator

He has taught at Utah State University for over 22 years now as a professor of Psychology.  Whenever I would find out someone at USU was a psych student and would ask if they had taken a class from my Dad, they would invariably turn pale or very vocal.  The pale ones would try to tactfully explain why they weren't Dr. Bush's biggest fans (bottom line = he works them extremely hard and demands excellency) without sounding like a bad student or a jerk.  Ha!  The vocal students could not say enough good about how his class was simply amazing, even though they had worked their tails off.  He has taught me the importance of being a life-long learner and encouraged me to obtain a college education.

My Dad is a Musician

For 10 years Dad has sung as Tenor #46 in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.  I remember many nights during my high school years when Dad would change into his pajamas and sit on the couch next to the stereo with one hand on the rewind button and another keeping the beat as he followed the music in his lap, practicing his part over and over again until he had it perfected.  Besides singing, Dad spent years of his boyhood learning the piano and has the rare gift of playing music by ear.  I remember coming home from a movie with a great soundtrack and minutes later I would hear Papa playing the film's theme song without error.  My Dad also writes music.  He has written a lullaby on the piano for every grandchild and just gave the family a CD this past week with all of the lullabies recorded and a book full of the lyrics.  It is a treasure beyond measure.  I love Daphne's song and am already memorizing it to sing to her each night.

My Dad is the World's Best Grandpa

Dad never hesitates to get down on the floor to play with his grandchildren.  It is so fun to watch him play "Buck'n Bronco" where the kids climb on his back and he tries to buck them off - just as I remember doing so vividly from my childhood.  He cuddles the babies, reads books, tells stories, throws snowballs and plays games.  I can't wait to see Daphne doing all of these things with her Grandpapa as she grows.

My Dad is a Golfer

Daddy started taking me golfing with him when I was fourteen.  I remember he used to slice to the right on almost every tee shot. :)  Nearly ten years later, he has improved significantly and recently got his first hole-in-one! That is, his first hole-in-one on Wii Golf.  But he's sure to get one in real life soon what with his positive mantra at each tee box, "My first hole-in-one!"

My Dad is a Priesthood Man and a Family Man

I've never known a time when I couldn't turn to my Dad for advice or a Priesthood blessing.  My parents held Family Home Evening every Monday night and lead us in scripture study and family prayer every day.  They taught us to love Jesus Christ and to rely on our Heavenly Father.  They taught us that besides loving God, loving family was the most important. As a young girl, I remember sitting on the second pew of the Cliffside First Ward, looking up at my Dad as Bishop on the stand.  When I would catch his eye, he would reach up and subtly wiggle his ear, telling me in our code, "I love you."  Despite his constant, often self-induced, state of busyness, Dad has always made time for our family and supported us by attending soccer games, choir concerts, musicals, baby blessings, camping trips, weddings and holiday visits.  One of the things I love most about my Dad is his consistency of writing a weekly letter to each and every one of his children away from home.  I have a binder packed tight with Dad's cherished letters and every Tuesday I look forward to getting the mail, knowing I will have another uplifting correspondence from my Father.

My Dad is Wise

Besides teaching classes at USU, Daddy has worked as a psychologist in the student counseling center on campus helping literally thousands of clients learn how to deal with their individual problems and improve their lives.  Applying those same skills of listening and advising, Dad has taught me the importance of balancing my intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical well being.  Whenever I need to hear sound advice on anything, I turn to my Dad.

My Dad is a Fighter

I really hope Dad doesn't disown me for posting this picture, but it was just too perfect! :)  When Daddy found out about his cancer in November, already progressed to stage four and the prospective looking bleak, he didn't throw in the towel for one second.  In an email to the family he said, "Death is inevitable, time is relative.  What matters most is how we are living today."  Burke wrote those words down and put them over our computer where they have hung for the past 7 months, reminding us to remember what matters most on a daily basis.  And that is exactly what Dad has done.  Rather than bemoan this unexpected trial, he has continued to go to work every day, face the pain of chemo treatments with a positive attitude, and even play racquetball and golf on a regular basis.  With Mom's attentiveness, Dad's positive attitude, along with fervent prayers by family and friends on his behalf, it is with joy that I can now say,

"My Dad is in REMISSION!"

I know that this is an absolute miracle and that God has heard and answered our prayers.  We found out this wonderful news about a month ago when my parents came down for graduation, but I thought it was appropriate on this Father's Day to give tribute to my amazing father and celebrate how happy we are to have him safe for the time being.  The following was taken from my big sister Chelsea's blog and sums up beautifully how overjoyed I am feeling about this news. 

***

re·mis·sion 

[ri-mish-uhn] –noun

lessening of intensity; abatement, as in the severity of symptoms of a disease

Lately, I've been hearing a lot of fun words around my house.  Desmond is babbling all the time.  Most of the time you can't understand what he is saying but often we catch him repeating what he hears us say.  My favorites (that we do understand) are "di-guh" (digger), "shaw" (saw), "shashaw" (shower), "gukguk" (NUK-pacifier), side (outside), shoos (shoes), hat, "sheet" (treat), fish and "flauer" (flour/flower).  Everything goes up in intonation at the end.  I love it.  

As much as I love hearing his little voice, I wish I could replay one word my mom said today on the  phone over and over and over again. 

remission

remission

REMISSION!!!

A huge grin crossed my face and tears of joy filled my eyes.  I've known everything would be okay since a peaceful prompting I received in the temple last December BUT there was a tiny part of me that still feared.  I know this may be a temporary state and there is always a chance things could get bad again.  I know Dad will continue to go in for treatments every 6 months but we're out of the dark and in the light again.  I don't know if I have ever fallen in love with a word as much as I with this one!