Father's Day comes every year and every year Dad's all around the country celebrate. They go to breakfast with their families, they eat, they go to games, they sleep in. It's all about Dad every June.
This all sounds great, but something to me was missing about this concept.
For weeks now, my wife has been asking me "What do you want to do for Father's Day, and I've been blowing off the question". I've really tried to think about it, but whether it's a special breakfast or dinner out, sleeping in (that would be amazing), nothing sounded or really felt right. I don't feel like I deserve any of that. This isn't a pity party out there, I know I'm a good dad, great dad even, and I believe in giving father's their due. My dad was a very flawed but great guy. The bottom line is he loved me, and that's what mattered.
He used to hate when I'd pull out this photo. It was a rare pic of him letting his hair down so to speak. He worked industrial sales jobs, material handling jobs, and he was also a Methodist Minister. He was very uptight. About a million degrees different than me. But once again, he was an individual who did the best he could and I appreciate that more than he would ever know. He passed away in 2013 from a broken heart. My Mom passed away the year prior and it basically just slowly killed him.
So I'll honor my Dad, the best way I know how. I loved the man, so to you pop, Happy Father's Day. I miss you. So now it comes down to me...Do I deserve to be honored for being a great Dad?
Sure, one day maybe if I get to a nice old age where I'm circling the drain a good bottle of scotch and hugs from my daughters would be sweet, but for now I feel like I have to honor my kids.
That may sound weird to some of you, like my mother who when asked why there isn't a kid's day but a Mother's and Father's Day, she would respond that "Everyday is kid's day!"
Which may be true in some cases but when it comes to Father's Day for me personally, I feel like my kids need the attention. I wouldn't be a Father without them. In the past three years since both my girls were born I've changed tremendously. I don't feel as curmudgeonly, as angry as I used to be. I don't feel as cynical as I used to be, which is scary because I'm still pretty cynical. They gave me a new life. So when my wife asked me again yesterday If I wanted to sleep in I told her no. I want to spend the day with my family. My kids in particular because I wouldn't have this amazing role without them.
Patsy here, my first born made me a Daddy for the first time in 2015. She brought me back from a darker place. She's very bright, funny, crazy energetic, as stubborn as her mother and father combined, loud and absolutely gorgeous.
...And Izzy here rounded out the family. Made us complete and keeps me smiling even on the worst days with her almost constant smiles and giggles. She has the cutest bow legged little walk, she talks baby gibberish non-stop like a 16 month old will do, she farts like a man, and screams in delight when I walk in the door and flaps her arms so hard I'm afraid she might fly away.
So on Sunday, I'm going to wake up early like I usually do, get some breakfast with the wife and kids, maybe drink a Mimosa as a little treat and possibly grill something that was once moo'ing. But what I'm really looking forward to is sitting on the floor being a jungle gym for my girls, making their lunch and tucking them in for their naps, watching Coco or Moana for the 800th time, sending the oldest to time out for not minding, changing diapers and passing out from exhaustion after they're down for the night to spend the rest of the evening with my other best girl, my wonderful wife Ann. To me, that's the best Father's Day present a man could get. Just being in their presence.