Till Pappa… Some children miss out on their fathers because they decide to be physically absent, choosing work or hobbies over spending time with their kids. My father on the other hand was always there for us, whether it was for a soccer game, review our homework or something as simple as reading us a bedtime story. To my Dad our family always came first. My Dad had set a goal to be the best possible Dad he could. It was important to him and he was passionate enough about it to discuss it with us as we grew up. He never wanted his children to feel that we could not come and talk to him. I think this is was one of the reasons he was so adamant about always getting the family together and staying close as a unit. It didn’t matter if it was for dinner around the big holidays or for a game of golf. He always wanted to spend time with the people closest to him. As a young Psychologist my Dad had the opportunity to design the entry test for all 18-year old males into the Swedish Army. This certainly helped me when it was my turn to enlist, but more importantly gave him unique insight into all the kids that were “well rounded” and successful in life. As we became an extension of this research, simple rules like: • Play team sports • Play an instrument • Learn more than one language ..were quickly adopted within our household. My Dad was rather competitive, in fact he hated to lose…I grew up always competing with my Dad – Tennis was perhaps our most competitive game. There were really no rules when we played, everything was allowed, pressure tactics, psychological warfare was all standard operating procedure for my Dad. Though I hate to admit it, this strategy unfortunately meant that it took me a couple of years longer to beat my father at Tennis than it really should have. Anyone that has ever played golf with my Dad will know that the “Swedish rules” applied there too. Talking during putts, jangling change and sudden coughing were all part of playing the game since he loved to win against us younger guys. I believe that it was his will to win that also made him so successful at work at such an early age. BHAG’s (Big Hairy Audacious Goals) were part of my Dad’s day to day life. It didn’t matter if it was work or private as long as it was fun, challenging and had a good reward attached to it. Talking about the reward, it had to be worth fighting for. One of my fondest memories of this was one of many bets with Reine about losing weight. The goal was set and the price was determined to be a bottle of Romanee-Contee (also known as the best bottle of wine ever produced). This time my Dad lost and had to figure out not only how to get hold of this very rare bottle of wine, he also had to pay up. Until today I have no idea how much this bet set us back in terms of money. What I do know is that he not only got the bottle, he got a Magnum. I was 16 years old and allowed to taste the best wine ever made. I doubt that I ever get a chance to drink Romanee-Contee again but if I do, I know my Dad will approve. Dad had a great love for the finer things in life. One of the interesting aspects about Dad was that he loved cooking. He also worked within the airline catering industry for many years which meant that we were all exposed to great food at an early age. In fact, I believe that Dad’s love for fine dining started much earlier when mom and Dad just got married. They would save a full year just to be able to go and celebrate something worth celebrating, birthdays, anniversaries, promotions, good grades - anything really. I will never know for sure but perhaps this was the time that my Dad decided that a small occasion is never too small to celebrate with Champagne. He was a kind hearted man, but also a disciplinarian. All of us learned as we got older that there was no such thing as a free ride. He taught us, that if we really wanted to do something, we had to focus on it and take action. My Dad firmly believed that if you were to appreciate the value of anything in life, you had to work for it. That said, he was always there to help us achieve our goals. I will remember many wonderful things about my Dad but the one thing that sticks out to me is his love for music, especially anything that could be played on the guitar. My taste in music growing up in the 80’s was everything but the music that my Dad loved, but this didn’t matter. We still found time to sit down and play and sing Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel songs together. It is impossible to speak of my father without also speaking of my mother, because they were one. Together, they were fantastic role models for how a married couple from completely different backgrounds should take on the everyday challenge of raising kids. They showed me the importance of honesty, having fun, friendship and the meaning of having a true life partner that you can share everything with. As I wrap this up I want to leave you with some of the most memorable life lessons Dad has left me with: • Family first. • If you want something, be prepared to work for it. • Music is important, play an instrument. It will help you during the hard times when you are sad or alone. • Respect other people even if you don’t agree with them. • A successful and truly happy life is measured by the wealth of friendship and experiences you have had. And last but not least… • There are very few things in life that are better than a sauna followed by strong cold beer. A few people have asked me how we dealt with that Monday when Dad passed away; I always say the same thing, it was difficult but we decided to celebrate Dad’s life with dinner and Champagne. I believe that’s what Dad expected us to do and it was more important this time than ever before, this time it was no small occasion but in remembrance of a great father and husband. Dad, thank you for being a great role model to Magnus, Maria and me. We will continue to love, laugh and live life to the fullest in the way that you did. Thank You