What Fathers Want for Father’s Day

Dear Diary,

This year I get to celebrate my 6^th Father’s Day celebration. If my son arrived just a few days earlier, this would be my 7^th celebration as a daddy! Speaking of age, I just turned 40 in May, so this will be my 41^st Father’s Day celebration with my Dad; something I am blessed to say and never take for granted. I’m fortunate to experience Father’s Day as a gift-giver and a gift-receiver.  And trust me, moving from gift-giver to gift receiver sure brings a bit more perspective to the picture.

Now I could make this post all sweet and endearing, pontificating on how the love that a Father receives from his child is as precious as any gift that one could get. Or I could possibly get a couple of “Awww, ain’t that sweet” comments if  I throw in a line about how the only gift I will ever need is having the opportunity to look at that cute little face every night as I tuck him in at night and read a bedtime story. These are great gifts, but these are not the only gifts a father can receive on his special day. This brings me to giving you the inside track on what every Father wants for Father’s Day: Their Child’s Love. Now this love can come in many forms.

From my six-year-old who just learned how to read and write, that love will most likely be expressed in a card. He’ll struggle to master penmanship that says, “I love you best friend.” That love may be accompanied by a picture he drew at school, which I’ll proudly post on our refrigerator. When my son grows into a teenager, his love will transform into an awful tie that you’re not really sure will match any of the suits hanging in your closet. But of course, you’ll wear it to your Monday morning meeting.  You’ll smile when you realize it’s a 100 percent silk–a fabric that costs more than your son’s weekly allowance. As an adult, I’m sure my son will put thought and planning into a gift that reflects who I am as a father. It will never be about the dollar amount or how much he can spend that determines how much he loves me.

So from this perspective as I determined what to give my own dad this Sunday, I decided to just call him up and ask, “Hey do you need a new yard edger and trimmer? He answered, “I sure do and while you’re getting me that gift, I need a blower too.” He laughed and said he was only joking.  And while I know he was kidding, he’s getting both gifts nonetheless, because for everything he has done and sacrificed for me, this is how I show my Daddy some love.

Hey DFTM Fam–What are your children giving their dads this Father’s Day?