Father's Day

This is a Facebook post from a few years back that I thought merited a revisit, so I'm tucking it in here. Deep thoughts on Fatherhood. By me. Fatherhood is one of those jobs that you can fall into, sometimes with lots of forethought and intent, other times with much less. In either instance, here suddenly is a man, faced with an important task, and no instruction manual...not that, being a guy, he would read it even if he had one. It's a job that he must define, in a lot of ways, from scratch. He may look to his own father for guidance, and I've watched that blossom both as an example to be emulated, and as a path to be avoided at all costs. But either way, he makes it, now, his own -- new identity, forged through trial, error, successes, struggles, and many times, unshed tears. You know, because he's a guy. It's a high stakes game. BIG expectations, lots of opportunity for misstep, sometimes esoteric and fleeting reward. I've been in a position to observe dads who have been at lots of stops along this journey, and I feel grateful for that opportunity, and the lessons it has brought me. I've watched dads with wisdom, dads with foolishness, humor, patience, frustration, joy, sorrow, addiction, healing, unexpected reward, pride, relief, satisfaction, even shock and awe. All of these things...and each of those dads forged through with big hearts, strong hands, and hope. So much hope. That they'll do ok, and that the kids will do ok. I admire that. I admire the willingness to jump in there and do it, without instructions, without maps, with good and ready hearts, because, you know, they are guys. And that's how it's done. They are of course, not all nameable here, but I know, and you do as well. So, Happy Father's Day guys. Hell of a job.