My husband’s comment years ago about Father’s Day took me off guard, “The best thing about Father’s Day is when your children notice you.” Wow, he nailed the bottom line. Knowing that you matter is just about the most important thing in the world. Come to think of it, you should see how his face lights up when the phone rings on Father’s Day… twice. This photo says it all. (Daughter Christy on the far left and son Jesse in the middle. You can figure out who dad is. ha)
Emotional health is so often tied to the relationship we have or had with our parents, no matter how old we get. Let’s face it, new parents pretty much don’t know what they’re doing. But when we know better, we can do better and hope that it cancels out some of the mistakes we made along the way. Realizing that my own dad didn’t know what he was doing either has helped me let go of the distant past.
Even though men hide their emotions more, I think dads want pretty much the same thing as moms do: to know they matter to the children in their lives. If you’re close to your dad and live nearby, you get to spend time together this weekend. And if you have children — big or small — still at home, you get to celebrate in-house. The only gift that really counts is time together, but if that’s not possible, a simple phone call substitutes. It’s surprising what five minutes can do. Just knowing that your child, no matter what their age, is thinking about you means the world.