Setting The Bar High

When the good Lord was creating fathers he started with a tall frame.
And a female angel nearby said, “What kind of father is that? If you’re going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping.”
And God smiled and said, “Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?”
– Erma Bombeck

Father’s Day is quickly coming to a close for another year – but I hope I can get a post in just under the wire that will paint a portrait of the kind of dad I’ve been blessed with in my life. What better day to do it?

When I was born, my father was a high school coach and all his colleagues were afraid he’d be disappointed with a baby girl instead of boy he could make into a big football star…but Mom said he was delighted with my gender. He went on to coach my little league softball team and participate in numerous father-daughter bowling tournaments.

When I had colic as an infant, my father rocked me to sleep each night on his chest, creating a comfortable and safe place for me from the very beginning.

When I began junior high and made the honor roll for the first time, Dad took me to dinner – just the two of us – to celebrate at a fancy steakhouse that he and my mother only went to on special occasions.

When I joined the ballet company, he got involved in spite of his own busy work schedule in PR at a big oil corporation and became the production manager, supervising the building of sets and props he had never before known anything about.

When I wanted to drive myself to high school, he gave up his car and allowed me to take him to work and pick him up. And when I needed a vehicle for college, Dad took me to the “big city” to buy one and then taught me to drive a standard shift.

When he had a business trip to Washington, D.C. following my senior year in high school, my father took me with him when it would have been much easier to make the trip without me.

When I had an interview five hours away after graduating from the university, my father drove me there and back in one day…offering wise career counsel and moral support.

When I bought my first house, Dad made a special trip to inspect it – and his stamp of approval meant the world to me.

When I married the man of my dreams, my father walked me down the aisle and made the fairytale wedding a reality.

When I think of my father, I think of a strong man with a tremendous amount of character, terrific sense of humor and calm, logical voice of reason. He’s family-oriented and generous, and he always made me feel worthy and loved.

Almost anyone can become a father, but it takes a special man to be a dad. Happy Father’s Day, Dad…and thanks for being someone I could – and do – look up to.