What Makes a Dad
God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad
~~Author Unknown.~~
My father has always worked his tail off, I will never deny that he is a hard worker. He taught me the value of a good days work and taught me the ethics of being a good worker. I could go on and on about my father, he being my new found friend. As I have said before, my father has driven truck as long as I can remember. This requires a lot of time away from home. When I was little I missed him when he was gone. When I was a teenager I resented the fact that he was gone all the time. Now as an adult I respect the sacrifice he has had to make to support his family. It is a sacrifice I, as a single mother, am now feeling as well.
My father has been a constant support to not only me but to my son. I never would have expected it from him but now I look at him completely different. He is a different man with my son than the father I remember as a child. I watch him look at my son with so much love in his eyes it would make your heart ache from the tenderness of it. He holds him and kisses him regularly. He is not the mysterious man that comes in and out of my son's life, like I think I always viewed him as. My son refers to my father as Papa, a name my father seems to be very proud of. My son has also called him his best friend and called him superman, which to a little boy is the highest compliment to be paid.
Since my son's own father has not seen him since he was 13 months old it is important for my son to have male bonding. I have tried to replace the missing father with loving male supports to help nurture the little man inside my son. My father is a major part in this support system. Teaching my son how to ride a bike, how to fish, how to rough house, and how to do everything manly. He takes "Man" trips to the local hardware store or just hangs out at home watching T.V. sitting in my dad's overstuffed recliner. These are the moments that make my son glow, along with my father. You can see the bond that is unbreakable between them. My son's first word was "Papa" and my father's pride and joy is his "little man." It is odd how different he has become.
I don't know if all grandpa's do this or if it unique with my father. When he was a father himself he was usually distant and stressed a lot. My father was the fun parent, don't get me wrong. We could get away with murder with my father but there was always a distance there. I think he is now able to enjoy his grandson in a way he never could with his own children. There is so much he wants to show my son. He goes on and on about "when you get older we are going to..." or "just wait until you see..." it is fascinating to me how this man could be so different. My father has always been a really guarded person. He never shows emotion or tenderness. That is Dad..the rock. With my son I have seen him laugh more than ever, shed tears harder, and have a tenderness about him that astounds anyone who knew my father before my son came along. People see the change in him and I think he sees the change in himself.
I wanted to take this blog to thank my father for all he does. For who he is and for who he has become. I wanted to tell him how much he is loved and appreciated. How our family would change forever without him in it. How my son looks up to him and loves him with all his heart. He has given my son a precious gift that cannot be replaced. The gift that only a man can provide. The gift of friendship and knowledge. Mostly he has given him a man to look up to and try to fill his shoes. But I think my father already understands!
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