Daddy!

In honor of Fathers' Day, I wanted to write down a few quotations from my daddy that demonstrate some of the important life lessons he's taught me.

Daddy has always taught me about good hygiene. On several occasions when I've told him I'm going to shower because I smell bad, he has said, "When you finally smell yourself, you know that everyone else started to smell you three days ago." (This might explain why every time I walk in the door and say, "Hi, Popsy," he responds with "Hey, poopsie.")

Daddy always encouraged me to find out who I am and be proud of it. This is exemplified by his song that pretty much just goes, "I'm a blue jean man. Whomp. Whomp." He always comforted me through the times I was trying to figure out who I am and how to love myself. He told me, "They always say Mormons are peculiar, but you've got it extra bad because you're Gentry. And you've got an extra dose of weirdness because you're the Geoffrey brand of Gentry. Sorry." I know now that that is so true, but I can't help but be excited for when I fall in mutual weirdness with someone who appreciates my Gentryness.

Anyone who has been close to me recently knows that my favorite piece of advice is "follow your heart." This can be partially attributed to the way Daddy sings songs that he doesn't know the words to. Somehow, he always works in the phrase "Oh, my heart." Daddy knows the heart is where it's at.

It's also because of Daddy that I have a weird sense of humor, cowlicks, and Shuler legs, but we'll forgive him for that. 

On a more serious note, Daddy has always been there to give me advice when I've been going through difficult times. He's taught me about my Savior and the power in the Atonement and the strength that comes through prayer. After one heartbreak in particular, he told me that "rejection isn't failure; it's feedback. Learn from it." I have learned many things working from this philosophy. Anytime I feel like I have been rejected or like I need to improve, I remember these words and try to move forward with faith. I will never forget the wisdom in those words. 

One of the most important things Daddy has taught me is that happiness is a choice. He once told me, "When things get hard remember that no matter where you are, you're only a few minutes away from laughter." Daddy has chosen to be happy and smile through so many trials in his life. That is a lifestyle and attitude that I hope I can adopt as successfully as he has. I love him so much and I'm glad he's my poppy!