My husband walks in the door after a long day at work. I greet him then prepare to rush off to my evening tutoring appointment. As I descend the stairs to the garage, my son comes rushing in from outside and pleads, "Can we play baseball?" A request he makes only five hundred times an hour. My husband, who has had no time to decompress, looks at his son and says, "Sure, buddy." I watch as they make their way to the backyard. C grabs his bat and hands his daddy a ball. My little boy places his bat above his shoulder, mimicking the professional players he admires so much. My husband offers a few pointers on how to hold the bat then gently underhands the ball to our son, where it hits the ground and rolls a few feet behind C. C smiles, shakes his unruly blonde hair, and teases, "That was a ball, Dad." "What?!" my husband responds, "that was a strike!" C insists, "Ball one, Daddy." Finally, C makes contact with the ball. He pumps his little fist proudly into the air and circles the "bases," crossing home plate. He is greeted by a high-five from his hero then they switch places, and I linger for a moment and watch my husband patiently attempt to hit my son's wild pitches. I exhale a breath of gratitude and reluctantly leave for work, unwilling to tear myself from watching the precious scene that unfolds in the backyard.
My dear husband, I see when you put self aside and despite wanting to simply unwind after work instead choose to play baseball with your son. I notice when you fold the laundry that's been in the dryer for three days, tossing about aimlessly as I restart the cycle over and over prolonging the inevitable folding process. I appreciate that you rearrange your schedule so I can run a business I love and still be home almost full-time to home school our children. I'm grateful how you get that staying home to raise our children is a worthwhile pursuit and never question what I do at home all day. I love that you never see our responsibilities at home as his or hers and simply do what needs to be done. I admire that you take our daughter out to lunch every Friday. It makes my heart smile to watch you faithfully adhere to the small, weekly rituals you've created with each of our children. Thank you for taking them to the trail to ride their bikes while you run, so I can have a few minutes to myself. It doesn't go unnoticed that usually four nights a week you are responsible for preparing dinner, brushing teeth, reading books, and tucking two sweet little ones into bed. You are not only our children's hero; you are mine, as well.
In a world where Homer Simpson, Tim Taylor, Peter Griffin, Ray Barone, Phil Dunphy, and other buffoon-like caricatures of dads represent fatherhood, I simply want to say that dad's matter. We live in a culture where the media has relegated dad to clueless, incapable of doing anything right, breadwinners. Some would even have us believe that fathers are optional, but this simply isn't true. While there are some deadbeat dads out there, for the most part, many dad's are unsung heroes, sacrificing selflessly for the well-being of their families.
One of my favorite childhood memories involves getting up early at the beach and riding with my dad to pick up breakfast. He would drive along the coast, while we discussed two of our favorite topics: history and politics. If he had wanted to sneak out to have time to himself, he never let on. To me there was no one else on earth he'd rather be talking to at that moment. On family trips, my dad always detoured to show us sights of historical significance, and while it might have driven my mom and siblings crazy, I was thrilled to hear about whatever event once unfolded where we were standing. My dad knew I shared his love of history and sought ways to connect with me in that way.
Though all dads have faults, to wide-eyed children, they are heroes whose strong arms easily protect from all harm. Dads are there to make sure their daughters feel beautiful and sons feel capable. They encourage both their little girls and boys to dream big. I'm blessed to share my life with a man who is also an amazing father, and on this Father's Day, I want to say thank you. Thank you for teaching our children how a husband should treat his wife, and thank you for being someone our children can admire and emulate. Happy Father's Day.
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