Father's Day

Today is Father's Day. A day where many honor the dads in their life with well wishes and tokens of affection. I have a great dad. Granted, my dad is the kind of man who would have been more comfortable with sons ... instead he ended up with three daughters. Of course, we girls adapted ... we went hunting, fishing and camping. We were the best "sons" we could be (and I have now completely reverted into the girly girl that I was not raised to be ... and not quite a complete girly girl as I am trying to finesse aging into a sophisticated woman.)

So, his next hope was that we would marry men like him. The standard Midwestern hunting, fishing, watch sports on the telly-type of guys. Sorry dad. I think you're going to be 0 - 3 on that one. Well ... at least D fishes and while some sports he enjoys, he can pretty much watch any sport and go along as though he was a fan. So, I guess it's not completely 0 - 3. My sisters' significant others may fish (I'm not 100% sure) and M's boyfriend does enjoy sports. But when it comes to hunting ... that's where he struck out.

He did luck out with two grandsons (who are absolutely delightful if I say so myself.) But of course, me and D are raising them ... so I can sometimes see where he (and my mom) are confused with the way we raise them. Why did we let K choose soccer over baseball? (It's what he wanted ...) Of course, I've seen him warm up and come to accept me and D as the parents and that our choices are just that ... our choices ... for raising our boys. Which brings me to the other important father in my life. D.

D is an amazing dad. Sometimes he's a bit more militant when it comes to discipline, and I think I overcompensate and have become a super-softy. But, for the most part, I can tell K and O respect him. They listen to him. Better than they listen to me, actually. And even when K is upset with something D may have done, at the end of the day, he can't go to bed until daddy comes up and gives him a kiss goodnight. And O, well, daddy is his world. (It's one of the sad residuals of having a stay-at-home-husband ... the attachment that often is connected with babies and mommies shifts to babies and daddies.) D went to the movies with a friend on Saturday and O was devastated that he left. And today, D went out to grab lunch and once again, O was beside himself with sadness that daddy had left. The attachment can make me a bit jealous at times (and makes the snuggles I do get from O all that much more precious.) However, I wouldn't change it for the world. I am glad that my boys have such an amazing dad in their lives.

Here's to great dad's everywhere. Any man can father a child, but only truly amazing men can be great dads.