The Importance of Fathers.
Happy Fathers day to all the dads out there!
I am gonna talk about my dad and how much having a dad matters. When I was young for a long time my first stepfather was a absentee alcoholic. So for a father figure I had my mom working 3 jobs or my racist/sexist but loveable grandpa on her side. My grandpa was a complicated man just like all people are and for a long time he was the primary male figure in my life. It took me a long time to realize that mostly what I was learning from him was how to not be him. I still loved him and I still do. However when I saw how he treated my mom, grandma and people of color. I was not seeing the conduct of a healthy father figure. Then around when I was 12 I didn't know it then but I had met my dad.
He wasn't my dad by birth he was my dad by choice and the value of that cannot be overstated. He saw a single mom with two kids and he didn't have to but he stepped up to the plate. He did it slowly he never forced me to call him dad for a long time I just called him Andy. He took me to work with him. he cooked and still cooks dinner every night. He took me to the driving range, the putting greens, to Oregon, taught me gardening and the value of being a honest and good person. We would watch King of Hill together or America's funniest home videos and I would love spending time laughing with him and my family. These little things slowly turned the name Andy to into the same as Dad to me. Whenever I hear the name Andy I think for a second no that's my dad's name. Then one day he called me junior in front of one of his friends and afterwards I said "junior huh?" to him. And he seemed taken aback like he overstepped but I was actually shocked and happy that my dad really did see me as his son. After that I started calling him dad, it was strange at first not because he wasn't my dad but because Andy like mentioned before was the same thing to me.
My dad is a stocky Norman knight looking dude, who would fit right in fighting off viking invasions protecting his castle in the medieval days. He is the one the kindest, strongest willed, hardworking people you will ever meet. He is often quiet for long periods of time, he can come off as gruff impatient but he's not he is just a caveman like that. And I wouldn't change a single thing about him. He is the best man I have ever known and will ever know and I hope to be even half as good as him over my lifetime. To all you people who read this I really hope you have a Andy/dad in your life because you cannot have someone better for a father or role model. If you read this I love you dad and thank you for everything!
With gratitude and love,
Fox
The best dad I could have ever hoped for.
