Father's Day, a special day to a select few families, but for mine it's just another uncelebrated holiday. Occasionally we wish him a "Happy Father's Day" just to see his eyes roll, but it's nothing spectacular to this family. Historians will someday look back on our culture and will not learn of this alleged holiday. This is because, for the most part, fathers are the family member who doesn't care about the holidays, doesn't care about getting gifts, and would rather ignore his birthday if everyone else would let him. It's a role that has been etched into the being of all successful breeding males, a certain disassociation with the environment. They eat, sleep, work, and watch sports on television. Well, the latter isn't a requirement, but it's certainly popular. In a way, this day was only created to offset Mother's Day. Affirmative action for the sexes. All of this became abundantly clear when I went to the store today and couldn't find the "Father's Day" section of the greetings cards. I didn't intend on buying one, but was simply curious what kind of messages are used on this occasion. Admittedly, I didn't search for very long, but still. On Easter the cards are prominent, even more so for Mother's Day. Nearly every other holiday is a Hallmark draw, but I guarantee that Father's Day is the day which lags the most for card sales. Especially schmaltzy cards prophesizing the children’s appreciation for the bounty that their fathers provide for them.
Perhaps this is a reality only witnessed in my home. This may have to do with the fact that each member of this family is so diverse from each other. The separation between my father and I is astounding. For starters he’s an avid hunter, while my experience has been relegated to setting a few mousetraps. He loves the outdoors, regularly snow-showing in the winter and fishing in the summer. I balk at the sight of sunlight, feeling at risk just being outside to mow the lawn. He loves cars and any mechanic device that helps transport him somewhere quickly, while I love electronic devices such as computers and television - two pieces of equipment that require being stationary. His first language is French, mine is English. It’s odd to believe that we’re from the same family tree, sometimes I get the premonition that I was adopted. If not for both being short and ugly, we’d have no similarities whatsoever.
Nonetheless he’s my father. The man that has driven my life and required so much in so few words. I’m proud of the man and all his eccentric outdoor idiosyncrasies, and my only goal in life is for that sentiment to reciprocate. To make him proud, despite the fact that he doesn’t understand the vast majority of the things that I do. I believe he’s a great father and my explanation for that is in how I’ve lived my life. In fear. Afraid to let him down, and afraid to not be there when he needed me. His vocabulary may be little more than curse words and disparaging statements, but he’s just doing his job. To lead me in the right direction, to be the man he wants me to emulate. That’s a father.
Happy Father’s Day dad.