My 2 Dads

Father's day is an interesting holiday in my family. My parents divorced and married new partners when I was barely 10 years old. As a result of this I had one Dad during the week and a different dad on the weekends. Being raised in this way allowed me to see and experience 2 different styles of "fathering". I have tried to take the best of both dads and apply it to my own journey as a father.

From my Dad, I learned to embrace my children's interests and make them my own. To truly enjoy what they enjoy. I remember our efforts to build a kite for a Cub Scouts "Kite Regatta". It was announced ahead of time that a prize would be awarded for the largest kite able to take flight. We worked together for weeks building first a 6 foot tall 4 foot wide prototype and then a 10 foot tall 6 foot wide final kite. The 10 foot model flew only briefly, but the 6 foot kite soared high and far. We flew that kite many many times. When I got older and started swimming for my school, my dad volunteered at nearly every meet. Finishing a race and seeing him there waiting at the edge of the pool always made me feel as though I had swam faster than I might have otherwise. I can only hope that I will leave my children with similar happy memories.

From my Father, I learned to push my children's boundaries. To get them to try things they might not have tried otherwise. My father taught me to hunt, to fish, to work on vehicles and to watch sci fi. While it is true that the vast majority of my childhood injuries occurred while learning these new activities, each scar is a precious memory. For example, the 1/2 inch scar across the bottom of my chin. I received that gem when the 2 of us were left alone for a week. We were trying to recreate a dive we had seen on a documentary a few minutes earlier and the results into the shallow pool were less than successful. But it was a lot of fun. With luck, my children we have the memories but not the scars.

So to my 2 dads and my unique childhood I say "thank-you". I hope to live up to the examples you have set. To my children, please bear with me, I am still learning.