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Father’s Day 2017: Paula & Chuck

Our fathers sacrifice a lot to ensure that we have a better, brighter future. With Father’s Day upon us we can’t be content with reliving these memories – we can provide our fathers and grandfathers with the technology and tools to create new memories with us at the touch of a screen.

The GrandPad team knows how important those connections with your father truly are. Last year we interviewed some loyal customers and their children to examine the bonds forged between fathers and their kids. Fathers function as mentors, as friends, and as our foundation when times get tough. Relive the story of Chuck, a GrandPad owner, and his daughter Paula below.

When the going gets tough, a real father always has your back. Sticking by a child’s side through good times and the bad allow fathers to go above and beyond the call of duty and help their children forge their own path through life. Paula fondly recalls that her father, Chuck, was always vocally supportive of whatever interests her siblings and she developed.

Among his many lessons, Chuck “taught us to love God and each other,” Paula recollects, illustrating that Chuck’s steadfast devotion to God directly translated to a devotion for being a great father and husband. Chuck taught by example – he know that living with a kind heart was the best way to teach his children the same. Paula remembers, “our home was always open for people to come visit.”

Chuck really had a way of winning people over with his compassionate smile and caring attitude. Paula goes on to point out that “once in a while even high school boyfriends would stop by, just to see our dad.” Chuck’s ability to maintain close friendships with seemingly tangential people in his life (like Paula’s boyfriends) imparted an important lesson to her – that she should live with an open heart and always strive to make people feel heard.

Chuck seemed to have an infinite amount of patience – where other parents would get frustrated or allow their nerves to show, Chuck was always calm and understanding. Chuck taught all of his children, including Paula, how to drive, and Paula emphasizes how painless and free of stress the process was with Chuck in the passenger seat. Paula can’t comprehend to this day how her father maintained such a sense of integrity, and quips that his family and friends referred to him as a “majestic oak.”

In addition to having “great dad” on his resume, Chuck blows most husbands away: He has been married to Paula’s mother for 56 years and loves her just as strongly as he did on their wedding day. Together Chuck and his wife raised a wonderful family and created countless memories.

Father’s Day often gets lost in the frantic shuffle of life, and we often neglect to video call or email our senior parents as we rush from one obligation to the next. But if you give your dad the gift of a GrandPad he can simply tap a button and talk to you in an instant. No matter how old you are, you’re still your father’s little boy or girl. Take a moment to express how much he means to you by signing him up for a GrandPad account this Father’s Day.