A Father's Story

When I first found out that I was going to be father, I had no idea of what to do. Barely out of high school, the mere thought of being a parent terrified me. How could I possibly take care of a child when I could barely take care of myself? What kind of chance could the kid possibly have with me as his father?

Honestly, I didn’t know if I was even capable of being a good father. After all, I had absolutely no experience in this department. But there was no turning back now. There would soon be a brand new baby boy in the world who would be calling me Dad. My life was about to change…….

So, I prepared the baby seat in my car for my new little passenger. We would take many rides together in the upcoming years. And although my infant son was still developing his communication skills, a strong bond was already forming. The anxiety of being a new father was quickly disappearing. And I started to believe that I might actually be able to pull off this father thing after all.

Before long, I was sitting through Disney movies, coaching Little League baseball and running to countless basketball games on the weekends. And whether we were casting our fishing lines into a nearby creek or tossing a football in the backyard, the quality time we spent together was priceless. And although I’m sure I taught my son a few things, what I got in return was much, much more. Fatherhood is truly a gift.

While raising a child is rewarding, there are occasional bumps in the road. The initial reaction of most parents is to protect the child. And although I didn’t really understand it at first, I soon realized that you must allow your kids to learn from their mistakes. As my son got older, when he occasionally got into a jam, he knew that I would be there to support and advise him. But he would ultimately have to solve his own problems. From this, he learned responsibility.

In the blink of an eye, the first weekend of June 2004 was here. This would turn out to be one of the toughest weekends of my life. On the Friday of that weekend, my son graduated high school. Obviously, I was as proud as any parent could be. We celebrated and had a nice graduation party at the house the following day.

On the Sunday of that same weekend, my emotions took a u-turn. This was the day that my son would head off to boot camp for the US Army. That afternoon, several family members gathered at the house and waited for the Army recruiter to pick him up. As they drove away, I felt like part of my life was driving away with them. I realized that this would be the last time I would see my boy. The next time I saw him, he would be a man.

And although this took place over eighteen years, it seemed like it happened overnight.

My son is all grown up now and is ready to take on the world. He has already accomplished many things in his young life but his potential is limitless.. I’m not really sure how much impact I had on his life. But he has become a tremendous young man and that’s more than any parent could ask for.

Shortly before he shoved off to boot camp, my son said to me, “Dad, I hope I can make you proud.” The truth of the matter is that I have been proud ever since the first day he entered this world. From that point, anything he accomplished was icing on the cake. My pride continues to grow everyday.

Although this is my personal story, I’m sure there are countless Dad’s with similar tales. I applaud everyone of you. I truly believe that the character of a man can be judged by how good of a father he is.

Happy Father’s Day!

KW