Whether you see him in the mirror or feel him peeking out at themost unexpected times, there's no denying some part of us is 'justlike Dad.'
From those who talk to Dad every day to those who said goodbyelong ago, readers searched their hearts and memories to come up withthe part of their fathers they share. Some are proud of theirresemblances, some resigned. All are laced with love.
Happy Father's Day.
Nathan, 13; Steven, 8; Brittany, 7; Jesus and Martin, 3; andJessica, 18 months, about their dad, Jesus Lopez
Our dad is full of energy even after a hard day at work, and wehave a lot of energy even after a long day at school. When our dadgets home, he still takes us on pony rides right on his back. As bigas we are, he can still carry us all. Our dad is just so strong, andso are we. We know that we are because when he gives us big bearhugs, we hug him back just as tight.
David and Christopher Metzger and their dad, Mark
Our dad is a great guy and is always there to help with homework,go on field trips and play video games. Both of us are 'just likeDad' in that we are enthusiastic fishermen. Our dad is anexperienced fisherman in all weather and places. We all love to fishin Tucson, Rocky Point, Maui, Missouri and anywhere we can findwater. We all love to fish in the sun, the rain, in fishing huts andin boats - 'just like Dad.'
Ever since I was a little girl, I have been my dad's shadow.
He rode horses, punched cows and made people laugh. I did, too.He cowboyed and persevered in tough situations. So did I. Everythingthat has ever been of interest to me, I learned from my dad.
I love to work with horses and cattle, work outside, and makebits and other black-smithing objects.
I have inherited Dad's personality - both his witty smarts, his'cowboy up' attitude and belly rolling sense of humor. I say bellyrolling because it is genuine humor - neither one of us knows how tobe funny. We just are.
People seem to know I am a Moss.; I work at Arizona Feeds, and Ihave had old cowboys walk in, glance at me, then glance again a bitlonger, walk over to my counter and slyly question me with, 'YouByrd's daughter?' I suppose all of us Mosses look alike, and I amglad that is true because I am proud to have been raised by such aloving, kindhearted, cowboy of a dad.
Carol Szel and Ed Szelewski
People always say I look like my mother, until he takes off hisglasses and puts on her wig.
Ben Esparza, 10, son of Sam Esparza
I think I'm just like my dad because everyone always tells me,'You're just like your Dad!' Not only do people say we look alike,but they say we act alike, too. Sometimes, when I am out, people sayto me, 'You must be Sam Esparza's son.' I think we act alike becausewe do the same stuff together: fishing, hunting, camping, workingout in the yard, watching sports together, swimming and, myfavorite, golfing. I love being like my dad. My dad spends a lot oftime with me, and I like that. I hope when I grow up, I am just likemy dad. I love him.
David J. Bukunus about his dad, Charles, who died in 1998
As much as I hate to admit it, I share many things with myfather. We both had a love of photography and film editing. The 1964Buick Riviera was our dream car. And deep down, household productsconfuse the hell out of us.
Take the introduction of plastic sandwich bags. At first theycame on a roll and you tore off a bag for your sandwich. Simple? No.
I remember watching my father tear off his first bag, just likehe did with waxed paper. He inserts his sandwich into the bag.Unfortunately, there were no instructions that said to tear off onewhole bag. There he was, inserting his sandwich into the sealablebag and watching it fall straight through to the floor. Prettyfunny, hmmm?
Last week, in the produce section of Fry's, I personally rippedoff one of their plastic bags on a roll and inserted six tomatoes.They fell right on the floor. It seems I hadn't ripped off the wholeplastic bag.
As I stood there, looking at my produce on the floor, once againI said to myself, 'I am just like my old man.'
Hannah Mangum, 12, about her dad, Jeff
I am like my dad because I never have to be told to do work, andI do it all by myself. Also, we both like to have everything neatand organized. Everything has to be prompt and orderly. We both liketo read, learn and study. We both try our best and turn things inthe time they are due, and no later. We are both hard workers, butwe both like to watch scary movies together. We both had blond hairwhen we were younger, then it got darker over the years (to brown).We both love our family very much and take care of our familymembers. My dad is very special to me.
Holly M. Collett about her dad, Clarence
Oh boy, am I like my dad! The older I get, the more non-
compliant I am. It's all over my medical charts. I am 72 and Itake one pill a day, and I am researching ways to get it out of mylife. I remember Dad displaying the flag on appropriate days. I dothat, too. Never miss. I remember Dad getting dressed at the VAhospital and telling the staff 'I'm going home,' and he did(complete with left-side partial paralysis). He lived to a ripe oldage. Me too, Dad. No one tells me what's good for me. I am a chipoff the old block.
Skylar Anne Mason, 5, about her dad, Karl
I am just like my dad because we both love chocolate so much. Welove the chocolate and the marshmallow the best when we eat s'mores.When Mom was away, Dad put chocolate ice cream and chocolate syrupon his waffle.
Karen Mracek, 23, about her dad, Curtis Mracek
How am I like my father? Oh, let me count the ways. I have hishair and his smile; I have his compassion and his determination; andI have his dedication and his love for my mom. I am like him in somany ways, it is almost scary. These little subtleties makethemselves known to me more and more as I grow older. And with thegood comes the bad. As I age, as gracefully as my father has, I alsonotice that the quirks and extremities that make my dad so lovablehave not been lost on me, his second daughter.
The hereditary nuance that I am most reminded of is that I havemy father's fingers. While this may be an unusual observation, I amconstantly reminded of it, even as I type along on my keyboard.First of all, I know they are my father's hands because my motherhas delicate and petite hands, which she managed to pass on to mysisters. I, on the other hand,
inherited these trunks of fingers. They are hearty and sturdy andquite wonderful hands for a son. But being a girl, it
didn't take me long to realize that my hands would be bettersuited for Shaquille O'Neal. It's hard to find gloves that fit, andeven with the help of nail polish, my nails seem dwarfed by myfingers. And then there was the traumatizing ordeal of ordering myhigh school class ring.
But with maturity comes age, or perhaps the other way around. NowI can look at my hands and think of my father. I see the bookcaseshis hands built for me when I was a little girl. I see the handsthat would lift me onto his shoulders and the hands that wouldn'tlet me fall. I see the hands that discipline and the hands thatprovide for my family. With his hands, he writes wonderful prose,solves impossible problems and builds amazing structures. I wouldn'ttrade them for the world. I can only hope that one day the hands myfather passed on to me can have the same strength and energy hishave.
Jodie Jackson of Phoenix about her Tucson dad, Bob Jackson
Ever since I was a little girl, people have told me how much I'mlike my dad, and I've always taken that as a compliment. Not onlyhave I inherited his eyes and teeth (I spent eight years in braces;thanks, Dad!), but we've got the same sense of humor and can makeMom laugh out loud for hours! What I'm most proud of in being likemy dad is his ability to see the good in people and always give themthe chances he thinks they deserve, even if it makes his job harder.He is a fair and well-respected man who keeps his word no matterwhat the cost. I'm so lucky to have not only a great dad, but agreat friend, too!
Patrick Doyle, 13, of Rio Rico, about his dad, Louis Doyle
We both like to go to the beach and eat seafood. I have big eyeslike my dad. Both of us like the Diamondbacks and the Cubs. We laughat the same things. We like to take trips. We like to hang outtogether and listen to music.
Nolan Kirk, 9, about his dad, Jim
I am just like my dad, Jim, because we both like to ride bikes.We go on tandem rides together. I like to pedal fast and so does he.He is my hero.
Chloe Buser, 11, about her dad, David
When I was born, my dad could not deny me. I was the spittingimage of him. I had his deep blue eyes and his hairline; none! Bothmy sisters have really long, thick hair like my mom. It took me halfof my life just to get the fuzz on my head. My dad and I are alikein many ways. We both like sports, and we are both tough. I am astress monkey like my dad because we don't like to be late.
