FATHERS DAY

                                              

I wanted to say something for all of the dads this Father’s Day. I’m not going to write about my own dad, although I loved him dearly, and he was a good father. But for each one of us that does a good job as a father while on this earth, some credit must go to the mentor who started the whole tradition, and that was my grandfather. I was one of the lucky lads who got to know and enjoy his grandfather through all of my formative years, and although he has been dead for nearly fifty years, his example still lives on in my heart.

I have often been in awe of people who, through their example, influence other people to make the right choices in life, but yet, in describing them you would say they were somewhat quiet and withdrawn. That was my Grandpa. He never tooted his own horn—he just went on living life in his own peaceful way; always leaving a trail of friends wherever he went. If the man had a mean bone in his body, I never saw it. He worshiped his wife, and loved his children, and was the quintessential quiet leader, not only to his family, but also in everything he did. When I graduated from high school he seemed so proud of me, and he took me aside to give me these few words of advice. He said, “The greatest thing you can achieve in life is respect. The recipe for respect comes from being humble and being honest.” That was a long time ago, and it is still the best advice I ever got. I’m not sure how well I lived up to it, but it is emblazoned on the letterhead of my moral compass.

Fatherhood is very important to the family structure. Society has tried to change this with different variations of the family structure but they never will, because the traditional family structure works the best. We have too many fatherless families in our society. I once watched a neighbor lady, who was a single mom, playing catch with her young son. I asked her if she was trying to make a baseball player out of him. With tears in her eyes, she told me. “He needs a dad so much, and it’s not just about baseball. I want him to grow up to be a good man, and I’m hard pressed to be that example. I can tell him what he should and should not do, and yes, I can play catch with him. But he needs an example to follow, not a lecture from his mom.” As men, we are called to be that example.

So, on Father’s Day, take time out to tell Dad or Grandpa, or anyone else who has played that father figure role in your life, how much it meant to you—that they made a difference in your life—that they brought things to your life only a Dad can bring.