Father's Day 2007

17 June 2007

I hope all of you had a good Father's day. Those of you who are fathers, I hope you were able to spend quality time with your children, letting them know how blessed they make you feel. I also hope those who could, called or visited their fathers and let them know you're thinking of them. Nothing warms a parent's heart like hearing from their kids, unless it's hearing the love in their voices.

I visited my dad on Father's day at his resting place in Golden Gate National Cemetery. Dad left us in October of 1983 and there are few days when I don't miss him. I think back on the things he did for me, from teaching me basic gun safety to help with my geometry homework. He taught me to play golf, to respect your elders, be courteous to ladies, avoid trouble when you could and defend yourself when you must. We weren't a big "outdoors" family, unless you include golf. Many weekends were spent trying to knock a little white ball into a hole with tools ill-suited to the purpose. When I started shooting I learned that shooting is a lot like golf. The only person you really compete against is yourself. More control, don't tense up, focus, concentrate.

My dad was not perfect and I'm well aware of his faults. But he made up for those faults by teaching my older brother and myself things we needed to know. I don't miss the lectures I received for misbehavior, nor his stern look when I tried to wiggle out of yardwork. But I do miss him. A lot.

So I visited my mother after visting dad. Now in her mid-eighties, mom keeps our family - one that now includes two beautiful great-grandchildren - firmly rooted. We talked about dad, some of the personal moments they had, how she worried during his around-the-world flight in the Air Force, and how he, unknown to us, worried about taking care of his family. It's been 24 years since he left us, but he will always be a part of us. If I can leave you with any thoughts at all, it would be don't wait for Father's day to be important in your child's life, do it every day.