Kirsten Johnson
My dad was an amazing man. He was kind, honest, incredibly intelligent, humble, loyal, fair but firm. He could also be goofy and had a very dry sense of humor that tended to elicit more groans than laughs. And like many men of his generation, while dad did not wear his heart on his sleeve, I never once doubted his love for me.
My dad influenced me in so many ways. He instilled in me a strong work ethic, taught me to give my best at any job and to never be late for anything. Whether babysitting, working in a hardware store or supervising a Quality Control laboratory, he told me to always do my best and to be proud of any job well done. He taught me the importance of education and the joy of learning. Most importantly, he told me I could be anything I wanted as long as I was willing to work for it.
Dad was responsible for the career path I chose. When I was about 8 years old, we went to visit him at the lab where he worked as an organic chemist. Yes, all the lab equipment and experiments were neat, but what impressed me the most was he had a lab coat with his name on it. It was soooo cool! I decided then and there that someday I too would have one. I never waivered in my goal, got a degree in molecular biology, joined a biotech company, and yes, got the lab coat with my name on it.
Daddy taught me to ride a bike and to drive a car. He tried to teach me how to drive a manual transmission, but after five minutes declared it to be impossible. He wasn't always the most patient man. (My brother ended up teaching me and that's all I've driven since.) Dad would help me with my homework, especially math and science. When I was in college, he write to me and often include drawings of chemical structures with little additions. For example, the structure of ether with ears and a pompom tail: the "ether" bunny.
Like many little girls, I saw my father as my hero, a man who would never fail me. As we both grew older, I came to realize that my dad was just a normal human being with flaws and no cool super powers. (Although as an organic chemist, he was incredibly useful at knowing what solvent would remove a particular stain - milk will remove ball point pen ink, for example.) But that never diminished my respect for or awe in him; it actually increased them. Most of all, it never decreased my love for him.
Daddy, it was an honor and a privilege to be your daughter. I love you so much and miss you with all my heart. Until we meet again....
Kirsten
