My Dad, My Best Friend, and My Dream Coach

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Dads can make you feel like either a prince or a pauper. With a little more than a quarter-century behind me, it would take awhile for me to think of a time when my dad hasn’t made me feel like royalty. For most of my life, I’ve taken that for granted. As I’ve grown older, I’ve learned from others that there’s nothing binding dads to be good fathers. Love is the tie that binds. Without that, you’ve got nothing. I know guys can be a bit squeamish or reluctant about saying I love you, but I think I can manage.  I. love. you. Dad.  There, I said it. Actually, when you’re the recipient of a love like my dad’s, saying "I love you" is easy. There have been myriad ways that I have been the beneficiary, but I’ll pick three:

1. Being there One of my fondest memories is my time as a sports public address announcer in high school. There were several reasons why, but most of all it was because my dad was beside me keeping stats and keeping track of the action every game.

2. Following through Like any kid, I was involved in plenty of stuff.  When dad said he was going to be there, he was there.  Never once was he a no-show, even if that meant altering his schedule.

3. Balancing the roles of coach and best friend The older I get, the more my dad is one of my best friends.  All of us go through a time when we are sure we know more than our parents.  All of a sudden we realize, wait a minute, they were here when we entered the world.  That means that they have that much more experience.  Nowadays, a lot of times, I’ll ask my dad to draw on that wisdom.  Sometimes, though, I just want him to cheer me on and trust me to make the right choice.  Fortunately, he’s pretty good at both.

Now let me say this. Maybe your dad hasn’t been the best. Maybe he’s been non-existent.  That is not to say that you can’t have a father figure in your life.  Do you have one of those?  Sometimes, like with my dad, you may have to tell him what you need from him.  Once you tell him, he will be happy to support you.  Have you told your father or father figure what role you need him to play in your life at certain times?

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!  I love you!  Thanks for helping me dream big dreams.