{"id":814595,"date":"2024-10-18T20:45:22","date_gmt":"2024-10-19T01:45:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.albertleatribune.com\/?p=814595"},"modified":"2024-10-18T17:23:30","modified_gmt":"2024-10-18T22:23:30","slug":"april-jeppson-celebrating-75-years-of-my-dad-on-earth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.albertleatribune.com\/2024\/10\/april-jeppson-celebrating-75-years-of-my-dad-on-earth\/","title":{"rendered":"April Jeppson: Celebrating 75 years of my dad on Earth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every Little Thing by April Jeppson<\/strong><\/p>\n

My dad turned 75 this week, and as I sit down to reflect on that, I\u2019m filled with a mix of awe, gratitude and a whole lot of love. Seventy-five years is a big number. I remember thinking he was old when he turned 50! But here we are, celebrating three-quarters of a century, and the man is still busier than most people I know. It feels like the kind of milestone that deserves a pause, a moment to appreciate not just the years, but the life lived within them.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

April Jeppson<\/p><\/div>\n

Growing up, my dad was always there. And I don\u2019t just mean physically, though that was true, too. He was present. He worked hard and was always helping out a friend or neighbor with a project. Even though he was busy, I never felt like I was missing out on him. Whether it was a school concert, helping me with memorizing my multiplication tables or trying to improve my softball game, he showed up. He always made me feel like I was a priority, even to this day.<\/p>\n

But what really sets my dad apart is his integrity. He\u2019s the kind of person who does the right thing because it\u2019s the right thing \u2014 not because anyone\u2019s watching. He lives his life with a quiet honesty that I\u2019ve always admired. Growing up, I don\u2019t remember him ever needing to preach about what it means to be a good person. He just modeled it. He showed me, day after day, what it means to be trustworthy, reliable and true to your word. And that lesson has stuck with me more than any lecture could have.<\/p>\n

This leads me to his kindness. My dad has this way of making everyone feel welcome, like they matter. It doesn\u2019t matter if you\u2019re family, a friend or someone he just met \u2014 he treats you with the same genuine care and concern. Time and time again I witnessed him get off the phone with someone and change his plans so he could help them. Maybe they had a shed they were trying to build, or a basement that flooded. It didn\u2019t matter, if someone called my dad and asked for help, he helped them. Often that \u201chelp\u201d was just being a patient listener when someone needed to talk. He\u2019s the kind of guy who gives without expecting anything in return, and I think that\u2019s one of his greatest strengths.<\/p>\n

As I look at him now, at 75, I\u2019m struck by how he\u2019s handled everything life has thrown his way. Change, challenges, losses \u2014 he\u2019s faced them all with a resilience that\u2019s nothing short of inspiring.<\/p>\n

Through it all, he\u2019s remained the same steady, strong and incredibly funny presence in my life. And as much as I\u2019ve grown and changed over the years, I find myself still turning to him for help or advice.<\/p>\n

So here we are, celebrating 75 years of my dad. And as much as this day is about him, it\u2019s also a chance for me to reflect on how lucky I am to have him in my life. He\u2019s lived through decades of changes and challenges, and somehow managed to come out the other side wiser \u2014 and funnier, if you ask him. He\u2019s been the foundation for so much of who I am today, and I\u2019m so grateful for the love and guidance he\u2019s given me over the years. I couldn\u2019t ask for a better role model, a better adviser or a better dad.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s to you, Dad, as you hit 75. You\u2019ve been the rock, the handyman, the life coach and occasionally the guy who makes dad jokes so bad that they\u2019re actually good.<\/p>\n

»Æ¹ÏÊÓƵn April Jeppson is a wife, mom, coach and encourager of dreams. Her column appears every Saturday.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My dad turned 75 this week, and as I sit down to reflect on that, I\u2019m filled with a mix of awe, gratitude and a whole lot of love. Seventy-five years is a big number. I remember thinking he was old when he turned 50! But here we are, celebrating three-quarters of a century, and the man is still busier than most people I know. It feels like the kind of milestone that deserves a pause, a moment to appreciate not just the years, but the life lived within them.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":770,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,3402,9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-814595","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columns","category-every-little-thing","category-opinion"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nApril Jeppson: Celebrating 75 years of my dad on Earth - »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.albertleatribune.com\/2024\/10\/april-jeppson-celebrating-75-years-of-my-dad-on-earth\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"April Jeppson: Celebrating 75 years of my dad on Earth - »Æ¹ÏÊÓƵ\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My dad turned 75 this week, and as I sit down to reflect on that, I\u2019m filled with a mix of awe, gratitude and a whole lot of love. 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