Whether we may be proud dads or dandy grandpas or both, we should always take a little time out of our busy schedules to sit down with our best lady and favourite family, crack open the old photo albums and chuckle as we browse through that often stressful but totally amazing adventure of bringing up our rambunctious siblings. As we now prepare to toast and pamper these great fathers in our lives on Sunday, June 19, we will dash out and try to find that perfect but unique gift for the man of the house, while planning his kind of casual surprise get-together, whether it be on the back deck beside the BBQ, the cabin at the lake, or a golf date with his best buddies.
As somewhat of a veteran dad and now grandpa, I know very well from experience that we can occasionally be a little rough and gruff and have some real strange habits, but we do have a big heart, are passionately dedicated to our family, and will always do what it takes to keep the family circle in a happy and mostly organized cinque. Here is the Hammer’s 2016 tribute with LOL to all dads of yesterday and today, with thanks and appreciation from their children.
*Thank you for all those very special hugs and that big and bouncy soft lap to snuggle up into when we needed it the most to chase away the sadness and the tears;
*Thank you for taking us hand in hand to our first day in school, for sitting so still and expressing the joy during those long grad ceremonies, for walking us down the aisle at our wedding and for beaming with pride;
*Thank you for taking part in all our little girl’s tea-parties, for dressing up and acting funny to cheer us up on a rainy day, and for playing our silly kids’ games over and over again, even after a tough day at work;
*Thank you for being an instant hero by fixing our broken bikes, wagons, and toys, and for creating that magnificent playhouse up in a tree in the back yard;
*Thanks for all those years that you got up so early in the morning on your weekends off and took us to play our team games, where many times you volunteered to be an umpire or a coach, and then when it was all over you take the whole van full of noisy kids for a treat at the local fast-food hangout;
*Thank you for offering to help us with our homework, even though you were never to sharp with algebra and spelling;
*Thank you for coming with mom to our school/church concerts and to the parent/teacher interviews, and for holding our hand at the dr’s office or dentist when we were real scared or didn’t feel so good. Thank you for taking us to special events such as the lake, a family birthday party, picnic, or fishing, even though you gave up a ‘tee time’ or a night out with the boys;
*Thank you for finally giving in and teaching us how to ride a bike and then much later when we became terrible teens you nervously taught us how to drive your precious car. Once in a while, if we were really good you let us take the ‘hot wheels’ out on a Friday night, but with strict instructions to be home by 11 a.m. sharp.
*Thank you for listening to our side of the story before deciding the punishment if we are in trouble. Thanks for not staying as long in the bathroom, especially in the morning or when we had a big date; and thank you for allowing us to visit your ‘man cave’ once in a while, even though the ‘no touch and don’t ask’ rule will always be in effect.
Dad’s wishes: As dads we all want our children to have all the things that we couldn’t afford, and then we can move in with them. Please don’t get us a GPS for Father’s Day, because then someone else other than mom will be telling us where to go. We must always remember that the most important gift that a father can do for his children is to love their mom.
Have a great week, all of you.