A New Porch Chair Shows Dad You Care
Jun 18th, 2010 by Kathy
Ask Dear Ol’ Dad what he wants for Father’s Day, and he’ll probably say that he desires only to spend the afternoon in his favorite patio chair, reading the Sunday paper, and not worrying about doing any chores. Then, maybe it’ll be a snooze in the hammock, before throwing some burgers on the grill, and eating at the picnic table.
Certainly he’s not asking for much; but you still wish to do something a lot more special for him. After all, being a father is a job that’s always challenging and demanding, and alternately joyful, heart-rending, fun, difficult, rewarding, puzzling, uplifting, and thankless.
Raconteur, singer of songs, reader of poetry, teller of jokes, player of music, killer of spiders, puller of wagons, dryer of tears, remover of slivers, and so much more, Dad has taught you everything, from the simplest games, to life’s most profound lessons.
He has also, on many occasions, been the victim of cruel irony. He bought you a scooter, you left it lying outside the door, and he tripped over it and tore his good suit. (Yes, from here on out, I’m blaming “you,” even though, when something went wrong at our house, “nobody” did it!) He got you a guinea pig, you let it loose, and it got into his dresser drawer and chewed up his underwear and socks. He taught you to ride a bike, and you ran over the seedlings that he had just planted.
Still undaunted, he showed you how to fish, and caught a hook in the neck as you were casting your line. He taught you how to hit a ball, and got whacked in the head – or someplace even more painful – by your bat. Then, he came to all of your games and sat on those splintered old benches; and he stayed the whole time, even when you, too, were just sitting on the bench. He wound up with ants in his pants – literally – after you broke the ant farm that you had begged for, and which he, to his everlasting regret, had finally given you.
Yes, Dad gave you his all – and you gave him gray hair. The most amazing part of it all, however, is that, if you ask him, he’ll say that he’d do it all (or, most of it, anyway) over again (right, Dad?).
Nevertheless, you’re determined to give him something wonderful for Father’s Day. So, if he truly wants to hang around the house, get him a nice porch swing, in return for the countless hours he spent pushing you on swings, only to have you spend years pushing him as far as you could.
An Adirondack Chair would be a good way to thank him for that vacation in the Adirondacks; and a new garden bench would compensate for the slivers that he got from those ballpark benches. You could also get him an outdoor rocking chair, for all of the times that you drove him off his rocker.
Naturally, he would also enjoy it if you let him know that all of the advice that he gave you while you were growing up, which you so blithely dismissed, turned out to be spot-on. If you now have kids of your own, it would further delight him to discover that his wish has come true, as you have, indeed, found out “what it’s like.” (Perhaps it’s no coincidence that diaper, spelled backward, is repaid!)
Actually, the best gift that you could give him would be to have a big family gathering. I mean, he definitely wants to see those adorable grandchildren; and it would really make his day if he could just sit back, relax, and watch you get yours!
Happy Father’s Day!
Kathy
