Two Unintended Father’s Day Traditions

I’ve fallen into two different but related, and unintentional, Father’s Day traditions over the last 12 years. The first is that, as a result of not thinking about Father’s Day when planning my summer schedule, I’ve spent most of the past 12 Father’s Days at our SpringHill Camp in southern Indiana. And of course this means that I’m not with my dad or with my kids on Father’s Day.

Now don’t feel bad for me, as I told one of my kids on the phone today, I rather be with them but if that’s not possible then this is the place I’d want to be (as I write this blog, on the evening of Father’s Day, I’m doing so on the deck of our guest lodge listening to campfires songs being sung around Rust Lake – believe me, it’s a pretty good gig if you can get it, even if it means you work Father’s Day).

The second tradition is our administrative staff here in Indiana, led by Amanda Wolf, has always given me (and a few of the other dads) a Father’s Day card and gift. This year, because of the length of time I’ve been away from my family, their thoughtfulness and the words in their card have touched me more than usual.

So in honor of all fathers, and because the following words also express, on many levels, my own feelings about being a dad, let me leave you with the quote, from General Douglas MacArthur, the staff put on the front of the card they gave me.

“By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact. But I am prouder – infinitely prouder – to be a father. A soldier destroys in order to build; the father only builds, never destroys.”