Belated Father's Day

I contemplated writing this blog since Sunday.  This is my first Father’s Day with no one to call.  The saddest part was when I picked up the phone to call my Dad and realized I had removed his name from the memory of the phone.  A lonely, sinking feeling set in.  Father’s Day calls were never long.  At most they lasted 6 minutes.  1 minute was spent exchanging pleasantries and the next five my father spent trying to get off the phone.  I often wondered if he knew he wasn’t paying for the call.  No matter.  It was never an exciting call but it was a routine and an obligation.  One of Dad’s famous quotes to me as a child helped soften the blow.  Mixing the bible with his own words he told me that it was my duty in life to leave my parents and go start my own family and home.  If I accomplished that then he would be a successful parent.  Well, I did as he instructed and have my own home and family now.  My children are getting older and one is even setting up his own home.  So now I’m the one who gets the phone calls and special day.  I take great pride in being a father and husband for that matter.  I look at how much thought went into the gifts I was given and I cannot help thinking of all the gifts I have agonized over throughout the years.  I have a wonderful family and would never want to change them.  Then I look at the phone.  I think of my father’s voice and a tear forms in my eye.  My daughter gets me a Diet Pepsi out of the refrigerator and hands it to me.  Dad didn’t drink as I find I don’t (conflicts with medication) now.  Dad was addicted to Diet Pepsi and as kids we would sneak some when he wasn’t looking.  Just like him I prefer the pop chilled rather than over ice.  My children know that and keep several cans cold for me as I have inherited my father’s love of that drink.  I sipped my pop and set the phone down.  There was no longer any call to make.  Maybe that’s alright.  Maybe Dad did his job and sent me on my way.  He gave me sound morals to guide me and a general direction in which to sail.  I have a lot to thank him for and I hope where he is now he knows it.  But I still miss making that phone call.