Happy Father's Day!

Father's Day 2013


Father & Son in Church - Norman Rockwell

Being a Dad is one of the hardest things I've ever done in my life.  It is an overwhelming job from Day 1 when you bring that baby home from the hospital and continues even when they leave the house and move off to college.  I fail often and hard.  But I keep trying because the stakes are high.  I know that my boys are watching me and will consciously or unconsciously emulate some of the things I do when they become fathers.  That scares the living daylights out of me. 

The Dad that I am today is because of the Dad I have.  My dad was a rice, soybean, cattle and crawfish farmer and he instilled the love for the land that I have.  Ever since I was knee high to a grasshopper, I've looked up to him.  I remember being a kid and when Dad would come home from the farm, I'd empty out the rice that was in his rubber boots and plant the rice in backyard miniature rice fields and I would pretend to farm with my replica John Deere tractors.  I had an opportunity to farm with my Dad for several years and they were good years.  It was really neat to have been able to do that.

My dad was a great role model and continues to be to this day.  He's always there for his kids, even though they are no longer kids.  In fact, just this past week, my lawnmower broke down.  When I drove home from work, he had driven 30 miles with his lawn mower and was mowing my lawn.  Growing up he always made sure we were in church on Sunday and he made sure that we knew what honest, hard work was.  He taught us discipline (I can still remember the sound of that belt coming out of his belt loops when I had been misbehaving!) and he showed us love.

 

There is a great country song about Daddys by Holly Dunn.  Perhaps you know it.  Here are the lyrics:

I remember Daddy´s hands, folded silently in prayer.
And reaching out to hold me, when I had a nightmare.
You could read quite a story, in the callouses and lines.
Years of work and worry had left their mark behind.
I remember Daddy´s hands, how they held my Mama tight,
And patted my back, for something done right.
There are things that I´ve forgotten, that I loved about the man,
But I´ll always remember the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

I remember Daddy´s hands, working 'til they bled.
Sacrificed unselfishly, just to keep us all fed.
If I could do things over, I´d live my life again.
And never take for granted the love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love in Daddy´s hands.

Daddy's hands were soft and kind when I was cryin´.
Daddy´s hands, were hard as steel when I´d done wrong.
Daddy´s hands, weren´t always gentle
But I´ve come to understand.
There was always love .....
In Daddy´s hands.

Wow.  Gentle yet strong.  A real man.  Being a Dad is a daunting task.  I make mistakes every day.  I try to make sure my kids know I love them.  I'd give my life for them.  While I'm not the best Dad, I certainly learned from the best.  Happy Father's Day, Dad.  I love you!