The perfect Father’s Day could be so many different things to so many different dads. In a consumer-happy society, to me it seems that the real meaning of most holidays has been heavily diluted by the idea that, the more you spend the more you love someone.
I reject that idea and have written about it as recently as Mother’s Day. An article I read inspired What Kind of Mother’s Day Gift Would You Prefer?, which really irritated me because it suggested that people in Oregon loved their moms more because they spent on average $137. Whooptie-freakin-doo right?
Just like with Mother’s day, the real gift of Father’s Day isn’t found in the gifts you receive. The gift has already been received! To me Father’s Day is not a celebration of fathers as much as it is the celebration of the gift the father received the day his children are born. Call me corny but to me it is about the privilege and blessing I have every day to experience fatherhood.
I understand the need or desire to recognize good father’s, especially with the abundance of fatherless families in this country, but I believe most fathers would agree that being a good father is not something that should be celebrated, it should be expected. Father’s Day reminds me of the perfect gift ever given to man — our children — not about my ability to step up to the plate and do what’s required.
Here are some things I try to reflect upon as I celebrate fatherhood.
The Perfect Father’s Day is…
- The gift of eternal love masterfully bestowed upon us by God, our Loving Father.
- Knowing your father and your children love you.
- Enjoying the greatest gift of all — our children.
- Filled with trillions of little hugs and kisses and “I love you’s”.
- Living DEFT FREE and providing an example our children can follow.
- Remembering your fatherly role is never complete and ever-changing.
- Creating priceless memories and reflecting on what’s really important.
- Enjoying an inexpensive but memorable cookout with the ones you love. 😉
- NOT about the price of the gift, but the gratitude the gift represents.
To be perfectly clear, I’m not against gift-giving. I’m simply saying that the gift is the least important aspect of Father’s Day. I just prefer it didn’t have to come with an outrageous price tag. I also sincerely hate to see people rack up debt in the name of loving the father’s in their life. Money can’t buy what’s important and going into debt to keep up with what society deems love-worthy is a waste of time and money.
Instead of spending lots of money on Father’s Day, give the fathers in your life something small and use what’s left over to pay off debt — the greatest financial gift of all. Getting closer to becoming debt free is a much more awesome gift than any expensive new power tool or big screen TV. Go be with him! 😀
Tomorrow, I’ll be spending Father’s Day enjoying my children and the love they have to offer. It’s not about me as much as it is about them, because after all, without them this special day wouldn’t exist in the first place! I have learned more from my children than any gift I could ever receive.
Happy Father’s Day Dad…I Love You!
Dear Caitlin, Isaac, Noah, & our upcoming baby girl (due in September),
I love you with all of my heart and I want you to know that no gift I could ever receive would be as great or as wonderful as the four of you!
Great perspective, Brad, and I’m right there with ya’. I remember when I was in high school I thought that when a person had kids that life was basically over. Today, I looked at my two kids and couldn’t imagine life with out them. My wife and kids have brought more joy and meaning to my life than I could have ever imagined.
This morning we packed the family up in the van and drove 2 hours to see my dad. We grilled for lunch, spent a few hours hanging out and talking, then we drove home. The only gifts exchanged were humorous cards – but it was a great father’s day because I got to spend quality time with my dad.
Gifts wear out and get thrown away. But I’ll always have the memory of standing on the deck, grilling pork chops while having a cold one with my Dad.
Right on my friend! That’s it exactly! Today I had the most amazing day ever and the only gift I got was no where near. 😀
Happy Father’s Day dude!!
I agree with doing something for your father instead of just purchasing a gift he might never use. My dad needed breaks and I convinced him to do it with me on Sunday instead of just going into the shop. Plus it saved us a bundle. parts: $127 Labor: $0
While this article is on Father’s Day, it so reminds me of Mother’s Day with my mom. My mother has never been the gift wanting person. It has become tradition for my siblings and myself to get here a handful of a certain type of wild flower that blooms only in swamps around Mother’s Day here where we live. We always joke that we are the only kids in the world who can make our mom happy by tresspassing and getting full of mud for a Mother’s Day gift. This started when we were kids and has continued for us well into adulthood. Some years are harder than others to accomplish this tradition, but I think its become as fun for us “kids” to find them and collect them and get them to mom as it is for her to receive them.
Cheap traditions are just as fun to give/get as expensive gifts, and since they are tradition you don’t have to worry about the gift being returned or unappreciated.