The things he did when I was young still influence my life now. For one thing, he keeps a journal, and has since I was small. One day when I was young, I picked up his journal and read a sentence or two. I knew it wasn't right to do that, so I stopped, but reading those two sentences gave me insight into his life and it's nice to know he's still giving those insights. His journal keeping has influenced me to do the same thing.
My dad prays. Countless times I would walk into my dad's room to find him kneeling in prayer. It gave me a safe feeling to know that my dad was importuning the blessings of heaven for him and us. I always knew that Heavenly Father was listening and answering. My dad's prayers still bless my life because he makes sure that I know he is praying for me and my family. Now, as then, I know Heavenly Father blesses us because of my dad's prayers.
My dad is great at working and playing. He doesn't like to waste his time. He works in the garden or on the house or at his church calling. He also likes to have fun. He does this by going on hikes and camping trips, and also by trying and learning new things. As a lazy teenager, I didn't have much in common with my dad when it came to these things, but now I value those same attributes. I like to be busy working or making or learning. Doing these things bring me joy. I learned much of that from my dad.
Even though he doesn't live as close as I would like, my dad influences my life for the better and always has.
