So, I think being a father is hard. I have been thinking a lot lately about what it takes to be a good father. With my two youngest, I am SuperDad. I just show up and they give me a smile as if I am the greatest thing since sliced bread. My oldest son has higher requirements of greatness. It makes me wonder what it takes to be a SuperDad, but more importantly, what does it take just to be a dad. For example, is there a recipe for being a good father? I would imagine it is similar to cake.
There are a couple of essential ingredients that are required to make a cake, and then the rest of the ingredients will just determine how good or bad the cake tastes. Every cake needs, flour, sugar, butter and eggs. You don’t even need water to make a cake. As a matter of fact, you don’t even need the flour, but unless you have a gluten allergy, no one should eat a flourlesscake. It’s just wrong. Bottom line, if you have these simple ingredients, a cake is what you will eat.
Many ingredients make a good cake
So here is my Essential Dad recipe:
1. BE THERE: The most important ingredient to being a dad is just showing up. It is sad the number of dads that are not around for their kids. I do not understand this. I am part of my kids and they are part of me. If I were to leave them, it would be like leaving my arm, or my leg. A lot of people think all you need is sperm to be a dad. This could not be farther from the truth. Donating sperm is the easy part. It’s like sticking your key into a car ignition, turning on the car, and saying, “Look at me! I can drive.” No you can’t. So, a shout out to my dad, who in spite of divorce and not always living under the same roof as me or my brothers and sisters, he has always been there for support. My oldest brother and sister and I do not share the same biological father, but my dad treated them as if they were his own. Was he the perfect dad? Of course not, but he had an abundance of this essential ingredient, he was and always will BE THERE.
2. GOT YOUR BACK: In my opinion, fathers should be the definition of “I got your back”. There should be no greater safety than in the presence of your dad. Just last Saturday I went on a 3-hour canoe trip and the boys came with me. It was Isaac’s first time in a canoe. It might have been his first time in a boat period. We went on this trip with colleagues from work, and two people in particular, Bruce and Linda were an awesome help and support. You see, Brett Jr. got in the boat first was going to sit at the front, and Isaac sat in the middle. However, to Isaac, as we were about to push from shore, the boat rocked way too much for his taste, and he felt strongly that he was going to fall in the water. With every sway of the boat his cried out, tears streaming down his fear-stricken face. I thought for certain that we were going to have to go back to shore and forget about this trip down the river. Bruce and Linda (in kayaks) straddled the boat to steady it, and they helped Isaac walk to the back of the boat to sit in between my legs. It was better, but he was still afraid. I could feel his whole body shiver as I started to row the boat forward. He held tightly to my legs for the first 15 minutes. I just said over and over again, “You are safe with me. I WILL protect you.” He would ask me, “Is the boat going to tip over Dad?” “Not today” I said, “Not today.” About an hour into the trip, Isaac found his courage and moved to the middle of the boat, and even helped row. He was very proud of his rowing accomplishments, and so was I. “Dad is going to keep me safe.” He said. “You got that right buddy, you got that right.” I told him. We survived the three-hour trip down the river and had a great time. Upon putting Isaac to bed that night, he said, “I had a great time with you Dad.” I said, “So did I buddy.” It was a great day.
Man of many quotes.
3. TEACH: I sometimes struggle with this ingredient, and wondered if it was essential, but this may be the most important job of being a father. Otherwise, as a father, what is my purpose? So, I take teaching very seriously. Unfortunately, as my oldest son gets older, I am discovering that I am becoming less intelligent. As Mark Twain said, “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”
Although Brett Jr is a very compliant child, I am beginning to notice more and more that
Money or humor that enabled him to marry up?
he does not worship the ground that I walk on. Luckily for me, I still have Isaac and Violet to remind me of how great I am. I must cherish these years, for one day I am sure that Violet will bring a boy home one day that I will hate. Is it too late for me to buy a shotgun? Maybe I can convince her that dating is evil until age 30. When I look at my daughter, I think about one of my favorite Chris Rock quotes, “Keep my baby off the pole! I mean they don’t grade fathers but if your daughter is a stripper you fucked up.”
Well, that is my recipe for being a father. Of course there is more, but I hope fathers every well include the basic ingredients. Of course there is always icing, sprinkles, and decorations, like bike rides, canoe trips, camping, talks about life, golf lessons, playing catch, shooting baskets, wrestling, fishing, etc. etc. etc.
So many thanks to my dad for taking me fishing, teaching me how to use a hammer, providing me a foundation for my faith, and etc. etc. etc. Essentially, the icing on the cake with lots of sprinkles. Happy Father’s Day.
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It would simply be impossible for Superman to become a father unless he discovered a female Kryptonian on Earth or super heroine. An Earth woman would not survive the process. The problem? One word: Orgasm. Superman’s orgasm would kill Lois Lane. I’m just sayin…
Marriage, maybe. Kids, no way.
Race Credit Karma: Brett's Blog 