happy belated father's day

When I was 8 yrs old, mom married dad...I was living with B at the time, but moved in with them shortly after. Dad chose to love me and raise me as if I were his "real" daughter. B chose to bow out of my life...I haven't seen him in 23 years. Dad is the guy who taught me to fish, took me hunting, hiking, and camping. Dad fed me, taught me to cook, made lunches for me to take to school. Dad bought me a car for my 17th birthday because the one I bought myself when I was 16 was a piece of shit and he was worried I would end up stranded on the side of the road going or coming to one of my jobs. Dad came to pick me up from my junior prom when I called in tears because my date turned out to be a douche. Dad came to my high school graduation and whooped it up, proudly telling everyone I was his daughter. Dad walked me down the aisle at both my weddings, and threatened to beat the hell out of my first husband when he found out he had beaten the hell out of me. Dad was there when I graduated from college and had my first art show...My point? Any dude with a few sperm can father a child...it takes a man to be a dad. A man chooses to take part, take responsibility, and show up.

J chose to step up on Saturday and as a result celebrated his first Father's Day on Sunday. He married my sister and chose to take on the responsibility of two young boys. Unlike my situation their father is still in the picture so they are lucky, they have two dads. Happy Belated Father's Day, to J and Dad, and to all the guys out there who chose to be dads after the fun part. It should be automatic, the fathering after the making, but it sometimes isn't, and when that happens and another man steps up and chooses to do the job, well that is pretty damn awesome.

For most all birthdays and holidays I get my dad a CD...usually it is something I am listening to that I love and want to share, sometimes it is one I just know he will love, and other times it is one that has a special meaning. This year I bought my dad Darius Rucker's Learn To Live...he is the guy from Hootie and the Blow Fish, remember him? Well he is now singing country and I LOVE the cd...I wanted Dad to have it and when I gave it to him I told him to pay special attention to #8, which happens to be It Won't Be Like This For Long...thought I would share, here ya go:

He didn't have to wake up
He'd been up all night
Layin’ there in bed listenin’
To his new born baby cry
He makes a pot of coffee
He splashes water on his face
His wife gives him a kiss and says
It gonna be OK
It won’t be like this for long
One day soon we'll look back laughin’
At the week we brought her home
This phase is gonna fly by
So baby just hold on‘
Cause it won't be like this for long
Four years later ‘bout 4:30
She's crawling in their bed
And when he drops her off at preschool
She's clinging to his leg
The teacher peels her off of him
He says what can I do
She says now don't you worry
This’ll only last a week or two
It won’t be like this for long
One day soon you'll drop her off
And she won’t even know you're gone
This phase is gonna fly by
If you can just hold on
It won’t be like this for long
Some day soon she'll be a teenager
And at times he'll think she hates him
Then he'll walk her down the aisle
And he'll raise her veil
But right now she's up and cryin’
And the truth is that he don't mind
As he kisses her good night
And she says her prayers
He lays down there beside her‘
Til her eyes are finally closed
And just watchin’ her it breaks his heart
Cause he already knows
It won’t be like this for long
One day soon that little girl is gonna be
All grown up and gone
Yeah, this phase is gonna fly by
So, he's tryin’ to hold on‘
Cause it won’t be like this for long
It won’t be like this for long.