Cheers to dads!
Father’s Day is coming up this Sunday, June 21st. If this is news to you, it’s ok, there is still time to find a quick gift, unless of course you’re just reading this on Saturday night. This week’s post I’m going to shift gears a little. My posts thus far have been on topics that pertain to our business and educating not only our clients, but those in our community. I am going to talk about the dads in our life. Dad’s come in all shapes and sizes and forms. Some households don’t have dads, but have others that fill that role, some households have 2 dads, and well, if you’re the Tanner household, you have 3 dads. If you are a kid from the 80s or early 90s, you probably got my last joke. But in all seriousness, anyone can be a dad if you are willing to take on that role.
My dad is the best. Clearly, I am bias, but he really truly is. He has always been there for me and my siblings. When I was younger, my brother and I both went through a lot of medical stuff. While both my parents spent as equal amount of time as they could, my dad was little more adventurous in big cities. When I was 5, I had a heart surgery out in Boston. While I don’t remember a lot, I do remember riding the train, going to the Boston Common park, and of course, taking me to Cheers. I am sure he also took me to other places, but those are what I remember the most. I had the opportunity to go back to Boston (for fun this time) in 2008, with my family and it was fun retracing steps again as my dad tried to show the whole family all the places him and I ventured to almost 20 years prior. I played almost every sport under the sun since I was 6. Soccer, softball, basketball, volleyball, hockey, golf, and swimming. I also did dance, choir, piano, and band. While some of these sports/activities didn’t work out, he always found a way to encourage me to do my best. I also know that he rarely missed an activity whether it was home or away. In 7th and 8thgrade we had a group of girls who wanted to play hockey and basketball. Him and another dad of our group made sure we could do both and helped form and coach a team so we could practice around both schedules and play in tournaments. While he may have penny pinched on hockey sticks (I don’t think I ever owned a stick over $50) or golf clubs (my high school set cost $200 for everything), he knew that fancy equipment was not what made you a great athlete. He wanted to instill hard-work ethic, leadership, and responsibility through anything we did in life. Same was true after I finished college and really didn’t know what I wanted to do. I kind of wanted to go into the family business, but he wasn’t ready, and wanted me to learn from others (he seems to think he’s not a great teacher). While it took another 5 years before he was finally ready, it was time well spent in other industries learning different things. The last 6 years working along side my dad have been truly amazing. While we don't always agree on some things, I always know that I wouldn't have the opportunities I have if it wasn't for him. He has taught me so much already and can't wait to continue to learn more over the coming years. I hope to be as good as he is and be able to help families feel confident in their financial decisions and know they are protected.
To my husband, you are an awesome dad. You help care for our children, entertain them as their own personal bouncy house or jungle gym, build forts, let them help with things when sometimes it’s just easier to do it yourself. We are still early in our parenthood journey and while I know there will be things we disagree on, one thing I do know, is that he will always be the kids’ best supporter. I can’t wait to see where the journey of parenthood takes us. Thank you for being great.
I know there are others out there who have not had a father or a fatherly like influence in their life. While I cannot imagine what that would be like, I do know there are men out there, that would fill that role in a heartbeat. To all the dad’s out there, whether you are a dad, filling the role of a dad, going to be a dad, or longing to be a dad, know that you are looked up to. Know you are loved, needed and wanted, even if you son or daughter is in that awkward teenage phase where dads aren’t cool anymore (most likely moms aren’t either). If any kids are reading this, be kind to your parents. You will not always agree on things and you most likely won’t understand decisions until later life, sometime not until you’re a parent. Learn to give grace, on both sides, parent to child and child to parent, but don’t forget to have a little fun along the way too!
Happy Father’s Day!
“The righteous man walks in his integrity; his children are blessed after him” – Proverbs 20:7