In my head I had grand ideas of what my 1st Fathers Day would be like. I would wake up to bacon hanging from the ceiling fan, spinning round and round like beautiful pig butterfly’s flapping in the wind. I would step into the kitchen and turn the cold faucet on and ice cold beer would flow like liquid gold. I would twist the hot faucet on and hot cheese dip would fill my sink, and nacho chips would fall from the sky. The day would be about me, me, ME! Oh yes, it would be a glorious day indeed. Realistic? No of course not….but I told you it was a grand idea!

Fathers Day today for me was not my “Grand Idea”, but it was something else. I think God had a lesson in store for me and that lesson was “to give myself, rather then receive”. My day was spent helping others. Others who at any moment would help me when I needed them, without question. I ended up doing the one thing I hate most “Yard Work”  if you will notice, its a double four letter word. The worst kind! And doing other peoples yard work is even worse! Which is what this was. I did however get to use a chainsaw with no supervision, or guidence! Fixing the chain when it fell off? no sweat! Im a total pro now. Using the chainsaw was something that was always “Dads job” who was the Dad this time? I looked around and only saw me of course. Afters hours of cutting, chopping, hauling, getting flesh wound after flesh wound. It was time to call it quits and move on to a “Fathers Day Lunch”, only to be tricked into moving furniture! There are some sneaky Mothers in this family, I’m not naming any names! They lure you in with food, and BAAM! before you know it you are moving an entire room of furniture from the 3rd floor down.

So now that I am a father, what does that mean? It means I care for my family, I protect them at all costs and I do what needs done even when I do not want to do it. You do what you have to do to get through life, and to help the ones you love get through life also. A selfish attitude will not feel as rewarding at the end of the day. A positive selfless attitude however is a fulfilling feeling at the end of the day. That is how I want to live my life, and that is the type of Dad I want Desmond to see in me. I just pray I can be that way. It won’t be easy. But THAT is what I learned about being a Father today.

So what was my special Fathers Day Gift this weekend? Saturday morning Jackie carries Desmond into the bedroom and places him on the bed beside me, Desmond is carring an IPod Touch. Something I have been drooling over for months and months. As much as I loved that gift, and I really really do love it. The gift of both of them laying in the bed beside me playing and laughing together as a family with the ipod touch laying untouched on the floor.