The sun is hot and my body is dripping with sweat before I leave the covered patio. The heat permeates my translucent legs and arms as I step out from under the shade to take a seat in the dry, brittle grass. My youngest, Jude, roams around in his sunhat and swim trunks, taking in the scene of his Daddy hauling a hose and water slide out into the yard. About 15 minutes later the slip in slide of today (which is much more extravagant than I remember) is ready and the kids are literally jumping up and down with excitement. Goggles and sunscreen on, they prepare to slide through the ice cold water with their Daddy. Kevin goes first to ‘test it out’. It’s a bit rough, he says, but it will do. The next 30 minutes consist of Kevin taking slide after slide with our oldest, Luke, as I watch from the sidelines with Lily and Jude wandering to and from my lap and Grandma and Grandpa. Eruptions of giggles and screams continuously spill from their throats and smiles as wide as the slip-in-slide itself are plastered on their faces. Their Daddy is all in. He is wet and sliding and smiling along with them. He is in the moment, playing and laughing and being the kind of Dad I dreamed my kids would have one day. He is all in.
Sometimes Dads get a bad rap. We joke about them taking naps, watching football, and ‘babysitting’ their own kids. Dads are sometimes perceived as the ‘secondary’ parent, the one who doesn’t do everything the ‘primary’ parent (aka Mom) does. Many times that is the case because of necessity and circumstance and because they wear a lot of hats. But, jokes and cliches aside, I wanted to recognize Dads and the immense value they bring to their families this Father’s Day weekend.
Luke, Lily, and Jude are blessed with a Dad who…
sets up and goes down the slip in slide when Momma wants to tan her pasty white legs in the grass.
goes to work everyday and shows them the importance of commitment, loyalty, and hard work.
puts together Lego sets when Momma’s eyes blur looking at the directions.
takes kids swimming and fishing and tractor riding and shows the boys how to go to the bathroom in the great outdoors (which is a VITAL skill that Mom can’t teach).
will stay up late to catch lightning bugs and read an extra story before bed ‘just because’.
will say ‘yes’ when Mom would have said ‘no’ because she is plain tuckered out.
kisses owies, dances in the living room, and goes as deep as he can in conversations about dolls, princesses, and the color pink.
shows them he loves and respects their Mommy with his kind words, long hugs, and helping hands.
stands for the truth and points them towards it at all times.
love them: big and strong and as wide as a slip in slide and will do anything to protect them.
Dads are an equal and vital part of raising healthy, kind, passionate and compassionate humans. And when they are all in, their influence is unfathomable and important.
Obviously not all Dads do all the things all the time, but I’m sure if we look, really look at the fathers of our babies who are all in, we will see good things being developed and nurtured in our kids.
All in Dads matter to our kids and our future world. And my prayer today is they feel celebrated, respected, and valued. Football and ‘babysitting’ jokes aside, these Dads are making this world a brighter, better, more beautiful place for us and our kids. Happy Father’s Day to all you Dads out there! And a few special shout outs: To my main man for being the very best Daddy to our babies. To my father-in-law who plays with our kids every chance he gets and even cools the hot tub so they can go for a swim. And to my own Dad who loved me enough to cheer me on at pageants and basketball games alike. Thank you isn’t enough for loving me and Luke, Lily, and Jude the way you all do.