Sunday, June 17, 2012

A Message From 1966

 
We gotta talk, here.

Look.  I know you’re new at this whole “parenting” thing.  It takes time to get the hang of it.  There’s a whole lot of new limits on your activities, new things you gotta remember, and you’re not getting any sleep in the process.

Consider it part of the training. 

Because this ain’t no temp job you’ve got now.  This is long-haul.  This is life.  I’m gonna be around for a while here, and we gotta get some things straight, capiche?

You’re gonna sweat.  You’re gonna work harder than you ever worked in your life, and then you’re gonna work some more.  You’re gonna get down on the floor when all you want to do is sit in a chair, and you’re gonna go out in the back yard when all you want to do is stay in, and you’re gonna find things and fix things and do things you never thought you’d do.  And when it’s all over, you’re gonna wonder where the time went.  It goes by awful fast.

How do you know you did good?  How does anyone know?  You just know.

You know because I’ll be watching you, doing what you do, taking after you.  That scare you?  Yeah, it should.

But really, it shouldn’t. 

Because you’re gonna do an ace job of it.  I’m gonna remember, you see.  I’m gonna be where you are now someday, and when I’m stuck for what to do I’m gonna think, “How did my dad handle this?”  And I’m gonna know what to do.  I’m gonna do what you did.

And my kids will think I’m a good dad because of it.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad.

No comments: