NOTE: At the end of this post, I'll tell you the rules for my Fathers Day 2018 Contest: The winner will get to choose between two field-level tickets to a regular season Yankees game in the Bronx (date TBA, travel not included) or a $1,000 donation to your father's favorite charity.
My father died when I was eleven, and was in and out of my life before that, so I don't have too many solid memories of him.
And while I was super close with my mother, I never felt like I knew "the whole story" with her. I think my mom operated under the "I didn’t want to tell you because you weren’t ready" mentality, and we never quite got there.
In anticipation of Father's Day, I've been thinking a lot about what being a father means to me, and a big part of it is sharing as much of my life as possible with my two kids.
This meant bringing them to work as much as was possible (and realistic) while they were growing up, and it also meant letting them have a voice in where we'd go on vacation, or to eat - or any of our family plans, for that matter. And it's meant being open with my children emotionally (within reason of course).
Being a father has also meant passing on "life lessons." I've always emphasized three "golden rules" with my kids:
1. Be a good person to everyone.
2. Be a good brother and son with your family.
3. Do your best in school.
Those were our only "non-negotiable" rules. We drilled them into our kids very early on.
And it's very satisfying to see what generous adults they've become, what good sports they are at all times.
But being a father is not just about how I "parent" my kids; it's also about how they influence me!
My kids, in addition to my wife, serve as my accountability police.
They keep me honest by goofing on me what seems like all of the time. They help me to not take myself too seriously.
It’s good to have people who know you and are completely open and honest with you. Who can critique you.
My daughter often calls me out when I tell her a story: "I can't believe you said that to that person!" (She also helps me dress sometimes.)
For me, the bottom line is that being a father is about more than the love I have for my kids: It's the teaching that only my my wife and I can provide them - and it's the learning that we can only get from them.
FATHERS DAY 2018 CONTEST RULES:
1. Subscribe to this blog by entering your email address > HERE <. (If you're already subscribed, you can skip this step.)
2. Leave a comment in the comments section below, telling me what being a father - or having a father - means to you. If you're reading this from your email, click > HERE < to go to the full blog page on my website and you can leave your comments below.
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY! CONTEST CLOSES AT 12:01 AM, EASTERN STANDARD TIME, JUNE 18th, 2018.
CONTEST RULES: By entering your comment, you are agreeing to the following Official Rules: Must be US resident; Must enter by leaving comment in comments section of this post; I retain the right to publicize the names and likenesses of the winner(s); If winner forfeits or does not claim the prize, it will be re-awarded, at my discretion. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Song of the Day: "Father And Daughter" by Paul Simon
Being a dad or father to me means knowing when to say no, and giving them the tools to be amazing in sports, school and life. Not being their friend, but their parent giving them the love they need and the space when they need it. Showing my kids it’s ok when you fail as long as you learn from it and how fast you get up. We dont make our kids descions we support their descions and guide them to make better ones. Life is short and your kids are for a short time, they grow every day in inches and in knowledge. I just love my kids to no end.
Friday morning on WPLJ they were asking their listeners to call and in and discuss “My Dad is my hero because…”
I thought about this for a second and immediately knew what my response would be. When my son Christopher was about 18 months old, I decided I
wanted to go back to school to finish my degree. My husband George and I could not afford daycare so my father agreed to babysit. He watched Chris while I went to college full time until I graduated. That was over 20 years ago and I’m not sure I ever properly thanked him for how much he helped our family. It’s been six months since he passed away and Today my first Father’s Day without him.
I can only hope and pray he knows how much I appreciate what he did for us and how much I miss him.
My father is my hero because, without him, graduating and beginning my teaching career in 1998 would never have been accomplished. I just finished my 20th year of teaching and I owe it to my dad.
Having a Father meant everything to me. My mother passed away when I was 4. My Father wanted me to be a kind and honest person. I learned from him that being kind to others is a great way to live your life. I want to be able to pass off the same values to my son someday.
I am very fortunate that my dad lived 87 full years and was always an amazing example of living right and treating people with dignity. My dad inspired me to be the best son and man that I could be so that ultimately he would be proud of me. I run my life and business knowing that he is watching from above. Happy father’s day!
I too lost my father at an early age (6) so I don’t remember much about him except that he was a farmer and worked very hard- he was killed doing logging. I have one good picture of him with a sister in her prom dress, so I think while he was tough, he was also gentle. I had a stepfather from the time I was 13(not the best age to be in a new family) until just before my son was born. This turned out to be wonderful as I ended up with 6 new brothers and sisters and lots of nieces and nephews as they were all older than me. Growing up without a father is tough and when I had kids I made sure as you did to spend as much time with them as possible and taking as much time off as possible to attend games and plays and whatever they were in. Life can just be to short to not try to do this.