Father’s Day Weekend

Let’s do get one thing straight. Birthdays shouldn’t be celebrated on just one day- I like stretching them out to at least a week. In fact, most of the time, a solid birthday month is appropriate.
Father’s Day? That deserves a whole YEAR of recognizing those men who step up to the plate and are DAD’s. Dad’s not only to their own children, but to any child who needs a DAD figure…nieces and nephews and the random kid down the street.  I was talking to a dad last night, in fact, who was relaying a story of how he stepped in to help a single mom with her son while he was on vacation! That’s awesome.

We all know the difference between fathers and dads. I know a lot of people who have zero relationship with their fathers. In most of those cases, I would have to say they’re better off maintaining distance. Not every man is cut out for the responsibility of nurturing and guiding. (Not every mom is cut out for that job, either, but that’s another blog.)  As the old saying goes, we don’t get to choose our families- unless adoption is a blessing you’ve experienced… but for those who were blessed with dads who screwed up from time to time while trying their best, dads who didn’t make every school play because of work responsibilities, dads who missed the home run because he got stuck in traffic, or dads who were a little too tough on their daughters first boyfriend…thank him. Thank him for every little sacrifice. Thank him for the big sacrifices, too. There were MANY and most you aren’t even aware of. Your thank you will be the best gift he can receive.

I’m really lucky, especially as I get older, to still have my dad around. I know many who have lost their dads and, some, very recently. I’m keeping you in prayer this weekend because I truly can’t imagine the hole in your heart~ remain thankful for your time spent and let your dad know he’s missed and cherished.

To MY dad….thanks for taking me on errands when I was a toddler up until the time I thought my time was too valuable to spend running around town with you. Thank you for understanding that I was a little too big for my britches. Thank you for coaching my softball teams. Thank you for sitting in the limo with me on my wedding day and telling me it would still be okay to come home. I thought you were crazy but you just wanted me to know I’d always be your girl. Thank you for loving my kids the way you do. Thank you for every sacrifice you ever made for me.

To MY husband….thanks for being a hands on dad to our kids. The kind of dad who flew his helicopter over their school playground and wow’d the crowd; the kind who manipulated his flight schedule around baseball, softball, lacrosse and football games. The kind of dad who had that magic rocking motion that put both of our babies to sleep and the kind of dad who couldn’t wait to see them the next morning. Thanks for being the kind of dad to establish boundaries to keep them safe. Thanks for picking houses whenever we’d move to a new place based SOLELY on the best schools. Thanks for working hard and funding private schools and college dorms. When you marry someone and plan a family, you never really know what kind of parent they’ll be… but I knew you’d be awesome and silly and treasured.

Happy DAD’s day.