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07/09/2007: "Fathers"
Traditionally, I take Nick and my dad over to the country club for an amazing breakfast on Father’s Day morning. It’s a classy all-you-can-eat affair with lots of families. The food is great and my dad always complains that with all that food, Nick sticks to just the fruit and yogurt.
Being a child of the great depression, my dad has a hard time spending money on himself and enjoying the luxuries, or even the simplicities, that come with it. And, there are very few things that he can’t build or fix. Because of these two things, in his late 70’s he is still Mr. Do-It-Yourself.
Through my childhood he built homes with one partner. He would buy the land, sit at night at a drafting table, design the house and create the plans. Then he and his partner would build the house from the ground up, sell it and move on to the next project. There were rarely any sub-contractors involved. He did the foundation, plumbing, electrical, roofing, you name it. Later he opened a cabinet shop and made custom furniture to retirement.
If you can call it retirement, for he never stops making things. The last 10 or more years he has been creating custom cars. His most recent design and prototype is a 3 wheel motorcycle that folds to be easily carried on a motor home.
Lately I have been thinking of Father’s Day and how this year’s didn’t quite go as planned. I called my dad to watch the kids on Friday night at midnight as Jeanette and I rushed me back to the hospital. Neither my mom nor dad heard the phone so the next call went to my brother who was able to come over and spend the night as we stayed in emergency until 5am Saturday. By midnight that day, I was again having trouble. This time I decided to hang in there until 4am Father’s Day at which time I figured my mom might be up. So it was another call to them for another ride to the emergency room. To my surprise, my dad picked up the phone on its first ring. I asked what he was doing up and he said he was waiting for my call. He felt so bad about missing it the night before that he probably didn’t sleep much the next night. Anyway, without hesitation he was here that Father’s Day morning and racing me to the hospital to prolong my life. 
I have said it a couple times. The hardest thing for me right now is to think about leaving my kids without a father. I have been so fortunate to have my folks around supporting me my whole life. A father has so much to teach a son throughout the years and I am still learning. I credit my dad for teaching me and giving me the example that I can do anything. My love for projects comes from him. I would love to pass these things on to my son and hope that I have done what I could in the short 12 years we have had together.
So here is a request to the men out there – my brothers and friends. In future times, if you are doing something that you think a teenage boy would enjoy, could benefit and learn from, and would like to take the role of father for a day or more, then I encourage you to invite Nick. He is amazing in his insight and sensitivity and will continue to need good father figures as examples and teachers. And I can not think of better people than you to take that role. So, here is a late public thanks to my dad and an early thanks to the rest of you.
I have to go and dry my face off now.
Bless your heart....