15 Jun Thoughts on Father’s Day

Tomorrow we celebrate Father’s Day here in the US. A cynic, of course, looks at days like this as one of the “Hallmark holidays” that are artificial and just meant to fuel our economy as everyone buys stuff to show Dad how much we appreciate him. That every day should be Father appreciation day, just as it should be Mother, grandparent, secretary or boss appreciation day.

But we don’t show our appreciation every day, hence the special day. These days are harder for folks like me, who sadly do not have Dad around anymore, but also love that I get to play Dad on the same day. It is a moment to think about The Lion King‘s iconic “circle of life” as we do all we can to enjoy all our time allotted while honoring and remembering those who have passed.

My observation over the years: Mother’s Day rarely seems like a day off for Moms, who tend to organize their own celebrations. Yet Father’s Day typically does seem to be that relaxing day off for Dad. Take the kids to a ballgame, shoot some baskets, relax at the beach. The most work Dad might do is fire up the barbecue, which of course for most of us never seems like work. So my advice for kids: make Mom’s day more relaxing. And yes, it’s ok to help Hallmark earn more profits so they can hire more folks and keep our economy growing. I especially like those “record yourself” cards.

I’ll be thinking of you Dad.