Dad's Day

He had known plenty of fathers in his life's time. Any Tom, Dick or Harry could be a father. No education or testing required. No certificate or license. No application to complete and no interview to pass. No special requirements at all. Just puberty and a willing partner can make any man a father.

Yes he had known plenty of fathers. They came home from the office exhausted from their hard days work. They could be found feet up on the couch, beer in the hand and game on the tube. On weekends they were out on the golf course or down at the lodge playing cards with their drinking pals.

Others had divorced their wives or never married them in the first place. Some managed to pay child support and/or come around for a visit once in awhile but the majority made a brief effort than faded away like the morning's fog.

He had known plenty of father's but very few dad's including his own.

A dad.

From the beginning a dad was a different breed of animal. They can be found in the nursery after the birth of their child eyes filled with tears and wide with amazement. In the home they are changing diapers patiently pacing the floor at night with a crying baby.

As the child grows they can be found sitting cross-legged with their princess/daughter enjoying a tea party or walking hand in hand through the woods as she points out each and ever butterfly and asks for the name of each and every plant, tree or animal.

With their sons they can be found creating imaginary battlefields with plastic soldiers only to knock them all down in order to recreate the battle once again. Or spending hours with Lego's until a world has been created on the floor of the bedroom.

In the evening a dad can be found reading bedtime stories complete with different voices and roars depending on the setting. He can be found on his knees beside the bed of his children reciting prayers and discussing the tears of Angels.

On weekends he is the one with not only his kids but several other kids from the neighborhood gathered round him demanding airplane rides. He can be found rolling on the ground wrestling a mob by himself and escaping by using the dreaded tickle maneuver, which leaves his opponents in stitches. He plays catch and Frisbee. He plays hide and go seek and tag.

He is usually the dad who takes the dad less children in the neighborhood under his wing. Answering their questions and attempting to fill a small part of a large void left behind by a invisible man.

Any man can be a father but it takes a special kind of man to be a dad.