Father’s Day Begins on Monday!

[Woodmonkey]

All men respect it, most give it an honest try, and the few and the brave and the wise just do it: it’s the choice to be fathers first and everything else after.

Here’s what it looked like, from my young, youngish, and then not-so-young eyes, to see Dad just do it.

– As far as Dad is concerned, Mom is always right, and he reminds us of this as he’s walking out the door.

– That’s because Mom and Dad always play on the same team and their goal is us. They argue, I’m pretty sure, but I don’t know where. Maybe that’s why their door is sometimes shut. I love it when they walk out smiling.

– If you don’t know what time it is, wait and when Dad walks in the door it is 6:30pm. If he’s late, there’s a good reason. No stress. After all, he’s working for us.

–Punishment is principle-based. Dad never dishes it out when he is mad, but he does dish it out. He waits until passions have subsided, reminds us what we’ve done wrong, and then he gives us a choice: suspension of privileges or spanking. We usually take the spanking and move on.

– We don’t know if we are rich or poor. We get the things we need—all of them—and we know not to even ask for the things we don’t. Knowing life won’t change much if Dad were to hit the lottery, brings quiet and peace—we are living, not waiting to live.

–Who runs the finances? That would be Dad, for sure—he’s a lawyer—but Mom always has some money too, and with it, she’s got decision-making power. She reminds us she’s just trying to stay within the budget lines that the two of them have drawn.

–Dad’s friends are not all like him, but they move in the same direction. They’ve got the same life-goals, I guess. Mom knows them and so do we.

–We are seven kids, but every two weeks, the oldest three or four get one-on-one, “special time out with Dad” to a place of our choosing. Sometimes I choose McDonald’s. It’s the time to talk about whatever. I don’t usually have anything deep to say, but I know he’s listening, in case some day I do.

–Dad wants us to succeed. I know that, because preparing us, forming us, is his priority. What’s different, though, is that his idea of our success is not becoming lawyers like him, or making more money than him, or having a super job. It’s only about becoming good husbands, good wives, good moms, and good dads, and never saying ‘no’ to God, even when the request is only a whisper of the soul.

Oh, and there was so much more, but I think you get the idea. For the many guys who, like my dad, are fathers first and everything else after, Father’s Day begins on Monday and lasts all year long. And we are grateful.

The Source