Why Do I Bother?

I read a post entitled “Dad” today at the Martian Anthropologist that really made me reflect on how lucky I am to have such a great father. The Martian (I’m sure he has a real name) paused to think about his role as a father and his regret that he doesn’t have the sort of father he needs.

He says:

I was thinking today, as I often do, that it must be nice to have a father. Or even a father figure. It must be nice to have someone in your life that is stronger and wiser than you are; someone you can always lean on, someone who can give you advice.

With all that has been going on with dad’s health recently, I have become very aware of my relationship with him with all it’s blessings and shortcomings. I know that I haven’t always been the son that every father dreams of. I know from conversations with him that dad feels like he has not lived up to his end of the bargain either. Quite frankly, we are probably both right.

But for all of the regrets of my youth, I am so happy and grateful for what we share today. Over the past few years my father has become my good friend. Whatever we missed out on in the past, what we share now is more than I could hope for. I count myself among the lucky ones.

I am not a father. Someday maybe I will get the chance to try on that role and I hope to do it well. In the meantime, I hope that I can play the role of a man half as well as my dad does.

And to the Martian I say, you already have a head start on your wish to be the kind of father to your son that you wish for yourself. You love him, I can see that. Tell him as often as you can. He’s lucky to have you … you are lucky to have each other.

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Tags: Family //