Father's Day 2013

Father's Days are cool.  They are extra cool when you're a father.

Elliott gave me a hug yesterday morning and said, "happy Father's Day."  
I said, "thank you Elliott; you were the one who made it possible for me to start celebrating Father's Day."  He hugged me tighter, like he knew just how much I treasured that.

Ian used the day as a great excuse to break out a tie for church.  As much I 'd like to feel honored he'd go to such extravagance for me, I know as well as anyone that Ian lives in a constant search for ways to prove his uniqueness.  He's just smart enough to do it on Father's Day with every expectation that I'll remember it the next time he asks for a puppy.

Nobody got a puppy for Father's Day, at least not in my house, but I did get a new wallet.  The way the boys hovered over me waiting for me to pull it out of the gift bag you'd have thought there was a puppy in there.  It's fun watching your kids get excited to give.  You know they're feeling that way because they really are glad you're they're dad.  It gave me equally great pleasure to come home from Martin's, our local grocery, later in the day telling them how it was the best wallet ever.  I told them my Martin's bonus card came out easier than it did from my other wallet, and finding my debit card in the fancy compartments was a snap.  Ian and Elliott looked at each other pleased and reassuring each other of their brilliance.  

As I posted yesterday, I spent most of the afternoon and early evening rooting for Phil Mickelson to win the US Open.  He didn't.  He finished 2nd for the 6th time without winning it even once.  It was painful too see his look of disappointment as he confessed he felt he missed his best chance of winning the tournament he clearly wants to win above all others, and as he didn't say what you knew he was thinking, that all of his best chances might be behind him.

I've not always been as big a fan of Phil the golfer as I have been of Phil the family man.  So it was awesome to hear Justin Rose, the winner of the tournament, use some of his post-tournament interview to recognize what a classy competitor Mickelson is, and to say how much he admired that Phil had traveled across the country this week to attend his daughter's 8th grade graduation.  Rose knew that in winning the US Open terms, that was a sacrifice.  He also recognized that to him, and the rest of the players on the tour, it was hardly a surprising decision from Phil.  

I guess what I like most about Mickelson is knowing how badly he wants to win the US Open.  Yet, if someone told him he'd be assured of winning it if he skipped his daughter's graduation, he'd laugh at you on the way to catching his plane.  I'm glad I know what Phil knows, that every day is Father's Day.  It's just up to us dads how many of those days we choose to celebrate it.