Father Knows Best

Television has rattled the perception of most people concerning Dads. We’ve grown-up watching Jim Anderson of Father Knows Best and Jason Seaver on Growing Pains to Tim Taylor on Tool Time to Reverend Eric Camden on Gilmore Girls. They are fathers who sometimes had starring roles in the chronicles of their family life.

However, in real life fathers play a much more important role. My dad who is now in his mid-90s was a dedicated physician -remember Marcus Welby, MD, that was my Dad. I grew through adolescence and leaving home with him being there but being at work most of the time. We share the same name and luckily I inherited many of his good traits both through DNA and association. I’m fortunate to assist him in his waning years. He broke his femur several years ago and uses a walker and can’t hear much of anything. He’s always been technically inept and guess what, so am I with many things. At one point, I was planning to follow in his footsteps but changed my mind, but that’s another tale.

The author Leo Buscaglia tells the story of a teacher reading a book to a class of first graders. It was about a fatherless little duck. As with all good children’s books, this one was filled with repetitive phrases. The refrain was always, “But the little duck had no father.”

The teacher was sitting on a foot stool with the kids gathered around her. When she completed the story, she asked Martha, a cute little blond sitting at her feet, “Did the little duck have a father?” Martha answered without hesitation, “Yes!”

The teacher paused a moment, slightly taken aback. She read the passage again repeating the question to Martha. The entire class had now fallen into a tense silence while Martha considered the question. After several moments, Martha responded rather matter-of-factly, “Yes!”

The teacher’s frustration was beginning to show, but she repeated the exercise with Martha again answering, “Yes.” At this point, the teacher totally lost control, “Martha you disappoint me. You’re simply not paying attention. It says again and again that the little duck had NO father.”

Now the tears in Martha’s eyes overflowed and ran in streams down her cheeks. “But teacher,” Martha sobbed, “Everybody’s gots a father.”

Call him Pa, Father, Dad, Papa, Daddy, Pop or Padre, it’s all the same, “Everybody gots a father.”

The late John Ritter told the story of the last time he and his father Tex were together. They were in the car with Tex driving and wearing his cowboy hat and coat.

“I was suddenly, deeply moved,” John recounted as he watched his Dad chewing on his pipe. “I had to say what was in my heart. It took a lot of nerve for me to speak-up because Dad was so reserved, but I said ‘I just want to thank you for being my father. I think you’re the greatest man I ever met and I love you.””

Tex smiled slowly before he said, “Yes son, that’s very nice.”

“Dad, I’d like to hear you say it, too, “ John replied.

“Well. . .I love you, “Tex mumbled. Then John said, “Let me hear it.” And he finally said it so John could hear it.

Three weeks later Tex was gone.

As I said earlier, my father was not home as much as I would have liked but his strong personality and presence was always there. I hope I gained an ounce of his love, sacrifice and humanity. There are many times I’d like to tell him how sorry I am for the troubles I caused while growing up. He’s a man I’m proud to call Pop.

Maybe the best gift we can give our father -on any day other than Father’s Day- is that simple sentence “I love you Dad,” punctuated with a good hug.

Trivia question of the day

(Try it without Google)

The answer will be in tomorrow’s blog.

Yesterday’s Question: This watch was the sponsor of the first television commercial on July 1, 1941. The watch sold for $9. Name the company? Bulova

Today’s Trivia: What singer memorized every line of dialog in the movie Patton?