Happy Father's Day!

Quick note to all you dads out there who do so much for your families, and in particular - your children - Happy Father's Day!

Most dads realize that the jobs they do don't get the high profile credit in the same way that mom gets for all the great things that she does - like cook great meals, and beautify the house, etc. Dads do the grunt physical work like mow lawns, move stone, build decks, clean the cat boxes, chop wood, and all the other labor jobs. And to be fair - dads also cook, clean, take out garbage, take kids to school (and pick them up), and heck - this dad even makes the kid's lunches every day!

Then there is the stuff that I do get credit for - playing games outside, or in the pool, fixing broken toys, reading bedtime stories, putting band-aids on skimmed knees, and giving hugs. So its not so bad when you really think about it.

Of course the most interesting thing about Father's Day is thinking about all the things my dad has done for me that I took for granted as just "what dads do" - which is simply so many great things that I couldn't really begin to list here in this essay. Probably, the biggest thing my dad did for me was play the role of dad - by working to ensure we all had a house over our heads, and three square meals a day. And making sure I went to school, church and understood basic values including the discipline required of being successful in a unforgiving, self-interested world.

So, I'm one of the lucky dads and lucky sons - and because I'm making it important to me - I'll get to spend the day with my dad, and my children and family, including my brother and his family! It doesn't get any better than that!

So today we will do a little grilling, spend some time by the pool, and enjoy watching our kids have fun.