Easily, the best thing I’ve ever done was being a dad. Now that doesn’t mean I’m the Perfect father and it doesn’t mean that the process has always been smooth. What it does mean is that of all the things I have ever done, being a father is the top achievement I have or ever will attain.
If you ask the three people who are my children, they may tell you about how goofy I am or how I might have failed them at times. They may tell you about a funny moment or a scary adventure we have had. My daughter might tell you about the longest two hours of my life when she was being prepped for an emergency appendectomy. My son may tell you of an ill-fated backpacking trip when I told him that if he didn’t suck it up and carry on, there was a real possibility of dying in the woods. My youngest might tell of the times I came to his class and read “Fox in Socks” out loud to his class (that’s about as death defying as I’ve gotten with him so far…)
Whatever they tell you, good or bad, that they are proud of me or about a time that I acted shamefully. It’s all part of this great big wonderful package that fatherhood has been. At times it has been a tear filled joyous pride followed by uncontrollable laughter. At other times, it has been a tear filled blood-soaked, excrement-covered tedium followed by periods of angry silence. But it’s all been real…
I won’t use clichés like, “I’ll do anything for my kids” or “I wouldn’t change any of it” because then I would be lying to you. Certainly being a good father means saying “no” to your children quite a bit. I also would definitely change the times when my children were sick (or covered in excrement). But you got to take the bad with the good and be grateful.
We live in a time when it’s regularly suggested that Dads are superfluous, somewhat dimwitted, actual fatherhood is shunned after making of the child and fathers are absent from too many children’s lives. With all due respect to folks who hold these opinions, this isn’t a good path for us to take. Now I’m not saying that solely being a baby daddy or male will make you a great father and certainly abusive behavior is unacceptable for any reason. But kids need dads, although not at any cost…
It can be a touchy subject with valid reasoning on both sides. But I’ll not back down from touting the benefits of good fathering or the joys of fatherhood in a loving family relationship. You let me believe what I please and I’ll let you believe what you please.
In any case I come upon Father’s Day this year all set for lame-o presents (which really are the fun part) a rack full of memories and experiences with three great offspring. Additionally, I get to look forward to messing with the lives of two grandchildren as well (that’s a whooooole other post) So let’s fire up the grill and put on an ugly tie ready to celebrate my fourth favorite warm weather US holiday! Yowza!!!!!