More after the fold.
It's Father's Day and for the seventh year now, rather late in life, I have had the pleasure of celebrating this day as the recipient of the good wishes from my wife and kids. I should correct that since one of those "kids" is going to college next fall as an Army ROTC candidate. He hasn't decided his final major but it will be in the life sciences field, possibly in the end a Medical Doctor.
My middle child again is losing the designation of child as he is well into adolescence at 15 and starting the fall, will be a junior in high school. This promises to be a difficult year for him as he will not have his older brother to accompany him to school. In several cases they each shared the same AP class, and of course after school hung out usually in his room alternating the TV, computer, and homework assignments.
Then there is my seven year old daughter. My two sons (and I do claim them as my own even if they are step children), have always been there for her. The younger son is her playmate, confident, excuse for all the evils in her life, patsy, tormentor, and the one person she always seeks things from aside from my wife and myself. Whereas the boys are laid back (sometimes too laid back, but then they are teenagers) Boo or Boo-Boo as I call her could probably solve this nations energy crisis. Her nick name comes from the fact that previously in life during my prior two marriages I had been told I could ever have children, only to be told a month and a half after we were married (and of course didn't need birth control because nature was too afraid of me having kids) by my wife the doctors "lied". Sure enough, two EPT tests later I believed her.
What can I say, there is a special bond between a father and a daughter. My daughter and I have that bond, and although she is constantly at her mother's side, she admits daddy is the one she never wants to fail or disappoint. To this date and I will bet to all future dates she never will disappoint daddy. She's impulsive and timid at the same time. Last night she was so excited about the gift her mother and she had picked out she had a hard time not blurting it out (I had already known what it was as my wife had ask me to hold off buying a digital watch I use with work until Father's Day so my daughter could get it for me). My sons and I play online role play games like Guildwars, and Never Winter Nites together and have great times. My daughter just wants to be hugged and to tell daddy some new piece of knowledge she has learned. Oh, and I am her fact checker anytime anyone in the family tells her anything. Daddy, nightly when he comes home sit's down with her and goes over her homework and checks it for her, no matter how tired I am. My son's, it is sometimes like leading a horse to water that isn't thirsty to get them to do their work, but they both have turned into fine cooks and enjoy coming up with new receipt's for dinner. Should their mother and I need help around the house, they are good helpers though as with any teen need constant reminding about the lawn and garbage.
It is for them that I write my blog idealthoughts. I want them to know and hold dear the values this country was founded on. Yes, my views often if you are to consider reporting as objective, far from objective. It is though, my job to teach those views, and values, it is a task I take seriously and hope they will take to heart as they grow older, wiser and more experienced. I have always regretted I came later in life for my sons, and the period when they were growing up and most needed a father they had none, especially my youngest son. Their mother, a strong, beautiful, intelligent and driven women did well in their upbringing and hopefully later they will come to appreciate the sacrifices she made for them.
That leaves my wife, for whom I owe this day celebration, and to whom all this would not have been possible without. I know many men who feel they can change, exchange or share their love amongst different women. Who think then that as they get older not having a younger woman around them to make them feel like they are young the relationship that has carried them through many problems now weighs like an anchor around their necks, should be cast off so they might sail into new uncharted waters where the sea appears bluer and clearer then some of the muddied waters they have sailed through in the past. I am divorced, however it was not infidelity that resulted in this. In one case it was two immature storybook lovers who thought all tales ended up as happily ever after. In the second.......I have yet to figure that one out, as to why either of us married being so far apart as we were. Thankfully, there were no children produced aforehand.
I was awakened this morning and showered with love and presents from the four greatest gifts I have ever received. Despite my wife's and I petty disagreements from time to time I am always amazed and blessed that she puts up with, tolerates yet still cares and loves me as she does. I guess at my age I have the wisdom to realize it doesn't and can't get any better then this and I am damned lucky, in fact I consider myself the luckiest man in the whole world. Sure this is Father's Day and the only thing that makes this day any different from any other days were the lovely surprises given to me. However, I am a father, proud of that role and title that two fine young men have allowed me to wear for them, and a beautiful young princess reminds me every day how she thinks "she has the bestest daddy in the world". As the day winds to a close, I realize that tomorrow, and the day after, and the day after that and so on will be another Father's Day for three hundred and sixty four more days until the next signature Father's Day. Lest any of you fathers forget that, that's what this day is all about for us, a reminder that no matter how bad the political climate or world outlook may seem we have this, and in return we must fight all that much harder to ensure our children have the love, guidance, caring and dedication from us to guarantee them a brighter tomorrow for them to pass on to their kids.
Cross posted from idealthoughts