A Day for Dads

This week-end we celebrate Dad's.  For the most part, Dad's get the short end of the recognition stick.  Often times, no matter what they do...it's wrong.  They either work too much or work too little, don't pitch in at home , golf too much, "babysit" (that term always irked me..babysit.. they're your damn kids too) too little or complained too much. Whatever they did, it just wasn't enough.  To me, fatherhood is generational.  Expectations were different when we were kids and the generations preceding were even stranger... Take the Hatfields and McCoys, I doubt anyone recently sat on a riverbank contemplating shooting their son... OK I take that back..it might have flashed across their mind!  Lee swears (brags) he never changed a diaper. Believe me, he did... his subconscious just erased unpleasant events...amazing how the male brain functions....or doesn't!  Emotion was nothing in prior generations like it is today. "I love you's" didn't run freely.  Today it's as common as hello....at least with our crew.  I wish I'd said it more.  It seemed that maybe our growing up years were more respectful than touchy-feely. Not a bad thing really but our relationships with our kids just feel a lot better. 

Nonetheless, celebrating Father's Day began over 100 years ago.  Mothers got their day first and that's OK. In fact Father's Day wasn't given National Holiday status until 1972........by none other than Richard Nixon........and we all know what an upfront, teddy bear he was!  Other countries celebrate Dads on different days for different reasons.

*In traditionally Catholic countries such as Spain and Portugal, Father’s Day is observed on March 19, the Feast of St. Joseph. (sounds like a chicken Bar B Q to me)

*Taiwanese celebrate Father’s Day on August 8, the eighth day of the eighth month, because the Mandarin Chinese word for eight sounds like the word for “Papa.” (Another day to celebrate Bailee's Papa)

*In Thailand, Father’s Day occurs on the king’s birthday, which for current King Bhumibol Adulyadej is December 5. ( This hits home.... On my Dad's birthday, he would always give us gifts. He was a firm believer in it being more fun to give than to receive.)

So this Father's Day... I salute my Dad... who I miss more than I can say♥

                                  I salute Lee... who I never dreamed would be such

                                  a remarkable Dad and Grandpa♥

                                   I salute Jeff...who I know will one day be an awesome Dad

      AND                     I salute Bailee's Dad.... but.... with an entirely different 

                                   finger and for entirely different reasons:-/