Eric’s Sunday Sermon; Who’s Day? Father’s Day Every Day

To get to be a father. Wow it reminded me today about my father. I just loved him so much. And we were so much alike it is scary. Hours and hours on the phone, sometimes 2 in one night. Emails and snail mails all the time. That part only lasted about 4 years before his demise when I was off slaying anti-capitalists.

He kept tabs on me from afar. Truth be told folks like he and I don’t have a bunch of friends and family relations somehow end up often strained. So be it. Life sometimes is what it is. Somewhere down the line a son follows the father if they are unfortunate. Yes that is a bit tongue in cheek. But my children are so much better than I will ever be. But so different.

I do stuff like raise children and sit in my shorts at my desk and write Sunday Sermons. Education wasted? I don’t know. Not one of my adult children actually do what their advanced degrees should have trained them for.

So the apple fell from the tree and grew sprouts and stayed where it stopped rolling. Thank goodness not under the shade of the parent.

Mom.

You made dad more than he could be. To the mom’s of my children and my wives. “Father’s” day is your day. Actually we are Saturday here. Father’s day with the boy. Tomorrow is Sunday on a calendar it say’s Father’s day. Nope not in this home. Dad gives mom the day of her choice. Mom’s make children who the father can call his children. It just works that way ;-0 Before you laugh at that think about having a 9 year old boy. Yikes – I reckon those old Birds & Bees and all that is a real “Father’s” day.

We are having too much fun around here. Football and Futball practice some bike riding and too much food. Our favorites for today are fruit. But my kicky butt omelet worked great. Soaking our Kale and Greens for salad with our tomatoes and purple Romaine and our fresh onions make the boy eat them – an accomplishment for a father!

First day of summer break. Today will be the best Saturday ever until next week. So while we enjoy, we get to anticipate next week. Maybe a picnic outside the Hotel Del Coronado on the beach. Sorry I ramble too much but this will tie in at the end here.

Father’s Day

I am a traditional westerner. I call my God Father. An interesting notion maybe. Not for me. But one of the finest things in my life is when a child of mine gives me the privilege of helping them. My heart, my eyes and head swell all up. I imagine my Father and my father also. My children do not do it enough. Dirty dawgs.

Porch light, exterior painting, cleaning my 2004 coach. Grrr. We are on our eleventh move in chess breaks in between, about 4 hours. An hour with friends on the phone while doing some minor gardening. Of course fellow fathers.

I am as much a mother as a dad. It works here because the “mom” is an unabashed workaholic. I love to cook. I take pride in our home. And what could be better than reading poetry with a 9 year old boy?

Life used to be so hard. I used to be older. I used to grunt getting out of a chair. Something snapped in about my 45^th year. I chose to “view” not just act. Oh make no doubt from meditation to prayer to preaching to a degree in a relevant field and teaching so many about the vicissitudes of lack spirit I was happy.

But my Father took that from me. Well truth be told both fathers took that from me. Eric you get back on that horse and ride better. My wife looked at me like I was nuts. It took about a week to get the notion that being a father makes you younger and not older if the spirit is there.

There has been a rough patch. I got all old again. But my elder son looked me in the eye hard in a place as dangerous as they come. And he asked me “are you a giver or a taker?”. Back to the father’s drawing board. In just a short month plus. I grew young again. Nothing exciting but a month forward means a month back in youth.

Fathering at some point means to grow younger with your children.

Please be clear here. It is not to grow younger to their age. It is to actuate and activate them growing younger. I beat my one girl last year but she caught down to me this year already. That girl can dance!

What a strange view of fatherhood you probably think that all that above stuff is. I bet you never taught a waltz with you daughter’s feet on top of yours. Maybe you never dove into a river to show that there was nothing to fear as long as you were near. My father just never taught me a different way. Come to think of it I learned to do a foursquare on his feet.

Mothering and fathering. Cool stuff. Some pro-athletes tell you how great they are and sign huge money contracts. My contract is heartbreak and feelings. So often I got nothing. But my pay-out is beyond Solomon’s riches. One tear of love for a child makes Midas look poor. So I understand father’s are aloof and above such matters. Yes indeed we are when called upon to do so. One of a father’s most important roles is to shut up and listen. One without history would maybe not know but to be a good father you shut up, with no solutions and listen to mom. I think I would reckon that about one third of the time you offer solutions and about one third you say and do nothing. And one third you shut up and do something. Kids and wives alike.

My young one offered/gave the best compliment a Dad could have. Dad how do you know what happened at school before I tell you? I know you did not talk with my teacher. And the answer is literally as plain as the look on a face. He pooped funny and had gas and some diaper rash and maybe got banged up learning to walk and hated green bean baby food. Fear and fortitude learning to ride a bike and the potty training. First day of school and the first time making their own cereal. Falling to sleep in my arms and waking up pounding on my head to wake up.

Of course I can tell what went on at school in about 2 minutes. Every day is my special day. I do not even fear him getting older.

We decided that today was the best father’s day ever. And tomorrow we will not go out to celebrate. Monday is better for that. What day is Christmas? But we are going for a great hike and picnic. Fix a bike. Maybe finish our chess match. Maybe settle the third round of golf.

It might be fun to go out to La Jolla and see what rich people do. Don’t worry we will park up the road so no one laughs at our car.