As I walked in the room, three adults sat there watching my every move in judgement. I was only 9 years old. I walked up and one by one, I shook their hands, with a firm grip that my Daddy taught me. The first question out of the gate was, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" That was easy. "I want to be President of the United States." I won that beauty pageant.
When I was younger, I had spunk and vigor. I knew I could do anything I wanted if I put my mind to it. That's because my Daddy told me I could. My father would say, "Shoot for the stars!"
Hugh Toepperwein, aka Daddy, "barely graduated high school" as he puts it and never went to college. He raised two kids alone in the '70s, when that was taboo. He worked his way up to management with a department store. That is when he began his business Toepperwein's of Texas in a garage. His only employee was my brother, who would get to work immediately following school. As he was trying to create artificial plants and sell to clients, he held down a paying job with a construction company. They would hire you to complete a job, then lay everyone off until the next job. He was expecting this layoff, and I was due, so I was induced one day before the end of the month so insurance could cover my birth. Now with three kids, he kicked the business into overdrive, pursuing it full-time. By the time I was 1.5, he bought a dance hall and turned it into a factory. And by the time I was four, he built a beautiful brick home borrowing no money! That's unheard of today!
You see, my father is what you call a "Self Made Man." When he said, "Shoot for the stars," I believed him, because I watched him take nothing and make the most realistic "fake plants" you've ever seen. He saw, and still does for that matter, art in anything.
I've always said I think he is a genius. Not just because he can see art when others simply see a rock or a stick, but he's a mathematical genius, as well. He can remember the price of every material that comprises our plants and in his head add everything up to quote our clients. Numbers race so quickly in his head, it's like watching Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting.
Growing up, he's continued to be my biggest fan. When I wanted to intern in New York in college, he bought my plane ticket, hotel room and sent my on my own, knowing I could "knock em dead." Like when I was 9, I shook hands with HR, looked them directly in the eyes and had such confidence of what I was saying, because my Daddy taught me. I was asked to work for two different stations, and chose WNYW, because of the hands on experience I would receive. My boss appreciated my drive and work ethic that my Daddy instilled. Because of those skills, I was given the opportunity to cover parts of JFK, Jr.'s death. My Daddy cheered from the phone.
He's also been my largest teacher of faith. His Bible is worn. He uses Duck Tape to reinforce the binding. There are verses underlined and pages worn. He wakes up every morning reading for at least 45 minutes. Rather than seeking answers in the pews, he opts for praying on his knees in his bathroom. If I have a biblical question, he's where I start.
Now, my Daddy is teaching my daughter these valuable lessons of life. When laying in bed at night, Emma and I reach as high as possible, trying to touch those stars, because Popoo has also told her to, "Shoot for the stars!" I watch him demand, "Give me a forehead," so he can kiss it, like he did me. They have inside jokes only the two of them understand.
I realize how lucky I am. My father was both a mother and a father to all three of his kids. He's made mistakes, but every decision is made with true love and devotion. This passed year, getting a divorce and then a Parkinson's diagnosis, was not only difficult for me, but Daddy as well. I know as well as any other parent, you never want to see your children hurt. But, he's never left my side, and he's continued his cheer of, "Shoot for the stars!"
I wish for everyone to have someone so special in their lives. I hope someone makes such a huge impact in your life, like Daddy has mine. Someone who guides you not just by their words, but their actions. And I pray that you realize your potential. I believe in you. My Daddy taught me compassion and love. And as my Daddy would say, "You can do anything! Just shoot for the stars!"
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