The Things You Taught Me

The chain kept slipping off that rusted blue frame

You held the wheel while I cursed at the gears

With grease on your fingers, you showed me the way

And made room for mistakes without making me fear

These are the things you taught me, Dad

More than you'll ever know

To stay when the fixing gets hard to do

And give what you can, then let it go

These are the things you taught me, Dad

They're the man I carry on

Your steady hands are in everything

I do when the road gets long

On Sundays, the kitchen smelled sweet and warm

You'd pour out the batter, then whistle off-key

The first one was lopsided, browned by the storm

But you slid it across with a grin meant for me

Years later, I hear that old wooden chair

Scrape back from the table before the sun

And I know love can look like a father right there

Making time for one more when the day has begun

These are the things you taught me, Dad

More than you'll ever know

To stay when the fixing gets hard to do

And give what you can, then let it go

These are the things you taught me, Dad

They're the man I carry on

Your steady hands are in everything

I do when the road gets long

And when I called at two a.m., you answered

No question first, no judgment in your voice

Just headlights cutting through the dark

And somehow I could hear a better choice

These are the things you taught me, Dad

More than you'll ever know

To show up before the morning does

And make a frightened heart feel home

These are the things you taught me, Dad

I'll keep them when you're gone

Your steady love will turn my hands

To the ones my children lean upon