Happy Father’s Day to all those fathers in the world! Yes, I am a father as well. I have had the pleasure to be not only a biological father, but also a step-father. As a step-father, I never tried to replace my step-children’s father. I just tried to be me and have a relationship with them. I am still working on me, but have a wonderful relationship with my step-children.
My step-son played hockey and lacrosse on travelling teams and we spent many hours in the car together going to and from games. I would let him play his music as we rode together as long as there were no explicit words in the songs. So, what did he do? Well, he would turn down the volume on the songs when the explicit words came on. I get a laugh out of that everytime that I think about that.
I did have the pleasure of coaching my step-son in lacrosse. I was blessed that my step-son was a good lacrosse player and normally a very positive and supportive player on the bench. One time, he was having a bad game, and I suggested that he sit a shift or two, and after a few exchanges back and forth, and I threw him off the bench and told him to go to the locker room. After the game, he appologized and admitted that he was having a bad game. I am grateful that he was able to see he was having a bad game and we moved on. For all my years of coaching, he is still the only player I have thrown off the bench.
Now, my step-son is married and about to join the fathers’s club this year. I am excited to see him move onto that phase of his life.
I have throughly enjoyed being both a step-father and bioligical father and it is on days like today that I step back and appreciate what it has meant to me and the experiences that I have had being a father.
So, to all you fathers out there. Take some time away from the Father’s Day Celebration and think about what it means to you to be a father and what experiences you have had as a father. For you new fathers, it is just beginning and it will go quickly, so enjoy each day. For those fathers with some years under our belts, savor the memories. We sometimes forget the little things that have made this lifetime worth living and some of those memories come from enoying our families. Either way, have a wonderful Father’s Day!