Saturday, June 21, 2008
This year, like many years, I struggled with what to do for my dad for Father’s Day. I might possibly be the world’s worst daughter. I begged my mother for clues on what dad has been asking for. He already has every tool in the Craftsman tool section at Sears. He doesn’t get excited about clothes or shoes like my mom. Forget about getting him a new handbag or a trip to the day spa. So, what do you get for dad when you live a zillion miles away??
What really made this simple decision even more difficult for me is knowing how much my father (and my mother) has sacrificed for me over the years. My mother said, “Just get your father a card Erika. He’ll love it.” Ugghh…really…after the 2 years of hard labor he put into building my first home, after the dealing with me as I went through the process of selling that first home, after all the years of listening to my endless whining about this or that. Just get a card???
As it turns out, that was the best possible thing to do. Thank god for the Internet and all the cool things that you can do online any more. I went to Hallmark.com and learned that you can create your own card and add in your photos and messages. Coolness. So, that is precisely what I did. I added in photos of my dad building my house, a photo of us at a football game when I was about 10, and a family photo from Christmas. He was so happy just because I remembered all those little moments. And my mom was proud of me.
Now, that brings me to my brother. He experienced his very first Father’s Day this year. Just 2 weeks ago he and my sister-in-law welcomed a new baby girl to the world. I have to say the thought of my little brother-who has thrown all kinds of objects at me-becoming a father seemed a little crazy. What? The boy who used to act like a crazy little kid at my birthday parties just to bother my friends is now a dad? Just like my dad? He is supposed to care for another living being??? Are you crazy?
Somehow he became an instant ‘pro’ at the sport of fatherhood. He can change a diaper in record time. He can swaddle without missing a beat. He can carry all of the needed baby accessories in one hand. He’s super dad! O.k. I don’t know if any of that is true, but he sure loves his baby girl. I can only imagine that he’ll be just as good a father as our dad was to us. He was always meant to be a dad so that some little girl could look up to him like I look up to my father. Lucky me though…I get to be ‘Aunt Erika’ who spoils her rotten and then sends her home!!! Lots of love to the fathers in my life!
