Me, Her, the Boy and a Dog

Today started off with traffic court. No, I didn’t speed - I’ve never received a speeding ticket as a matter of fact - I simply did not get my state inspection done in a timely manner and it cost me $61. D’oh. This traffic court deal meant that I missed seeing my son off to his first day of preschool for this year. He went last year, too, so it’s not like I missed the first first day, just the first day of THIS year. So that kinda put me in a bad mood from the get go.

Then I got to work and had to read a 43-page annual report front to back. It was actually pretty informative, but it was about as interesting as you can imagine an annual report could be, but I put my editor hat on and went to work.

I ran over to my son’s school at lunch to at least see him get out on his first day and he was really happy to see me, shouting “Daddy!” That certainly made me smile and the 10-minutes I spent with him in the middle of the day got me through the rest of the afternoon.

I could go on, but at least I ended the day with two of my favorite people - my son and my awesome girlfriend. Thanks for brightening my day - I love you guys!

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there who take the time to be an important part of the lives of their children! And a special Happy Father’s Day to my dad, Billy, who helped me become the man - and father - I am today.

As I grow older (and hopefully wiser) I realize more and more how much my parents truly loved me growing up. I know they still do, but raising kids isn’t easy and I know that now since I have a 4-year-old son.

Last weekend, Nic and I visited family in Winchester. We went to see our cousin Megan following her high school graduation and at one point, I was talking with Megan and shared with her some thoughts. I told her that I always knew my parents loved me and that I was sure she knew that her parents loved her. What I didn’t know, and that I’m sure Megan doesn’t fullly realize, is just how much our parents loved us. Why? Because unless you have children, I don’t think it’s possible to comprehend that kind of love.

When Nic was born I finally understood what unconditional love was. And as he gets older and I watch him grow up before my eyes, I find myself grasping to hold on to every moment before it escapes the now and drifts to the past. I feel like like I’m trying to plug holes in a dam to slow the progression, but more holes keep springing and before I know it, the river of life will blow past me.

I look at my son and I see limiteless potential. I am excited to see what he becomes, but at the same time, I don’t want it to come too quickly. When I look at old pictures of me and my dad, I wonder if he loved me then as much as I love Nic now. The question answers itself when I really thought about it. Love, while a natural human tendancy, is also something we learn to express. So, the answer is yes. Had my dad not loved me and did what was best for me growing up, I may not be the dad I am today.

Thanks, dad. Thanks for always being there for me, whether I asked for it or not. Thanks for helping me build my Superman kite. Thanks for putting together my first red Huffy bike and teaching me to ride it, even though I panicked when I looked back to discover I was riding it all by myself and when I tried to turn around in the street, I went head first into a snow bank. Thanks for being there when I made my first birdie - a chip shot out of the trap on the par 3. Thanks for allowing me to celebrate a little more than I should have.

Thanks for humoring us when we dug that hole, filled it with water, disguised it and thought we were tricking you into stepping into it. Thanks for teaching us right from wrong. Thanks for teaching us compassion. Thanks for passing on your strengths. Thanks for helping us learn to face our weaknesses. Thank you for your strength. Thank you for trusting us your weaknesses. Thanks for being tough on us when we needed it.

Thank you, dad, for helping your sons become the responsible and loving fathers we are today. We could not have done it without you.

I have heard a lot of songs over the years about dads and sons, but there is one song in particular that I can relate to on every level - Keith Urban’s Song for Dad (<— click to listen). The whole song is relevant, but one line really stands out:

When somebody says “I hope I get to meet your dad,” I just smile and say, “You already have.”

I can think of no greater compliment than for people to say that I remind them of my parents. Of course, being a father myself, it takes on even greater meaning to have someone tell me that I remind them of my dad.

Happy Father’s Day, dad! I love you!

Me, Nic, Dad, Carter and Christopher - September 2008

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