From the Road
Happy Father's Day to all the dads. This week I drove three 11-year-old girls to The Great River Ranch for what my daughter Maya calls "Camp Ranch." Three hours in the car with enough energy to power a small city. Somewhere between the singing and nonstop chatter, I found myself thinking about dads.
The View
It started with high-pitched screaming. I was up by the house when I heard it, that particular pitch kids hit when they're incredibly scared. I came down fast. It was a garter snake. The snake was far more scared of them than they were of it, but for about thirty seconds there was an incredible amount of 11-year-old drama.
And then it wasn't. The screaming turned into laughing, the snake went on its way, and the kids jumped onto the paddle boards and went right back to being kids. Out on the pond, splashing, not a screen in sight, not a care in the world. I stood there and smiled.
It took me back to my childhood. Playing with my friends, living the good life, not a worry to my name. It's a feeling I still chase, and often I get caught up in taking life way too seriously. Think about it. We're on a rock spinning around in an infinite universe, and sometimes we get so caught up in our own self-created drama. Watching kids play is a gift and we all need to play more.
Because it's Father's Day I'm also thinking about my Dad, his Dad, and to be honest all of the dads in my life. I would have never gotten to where I'm at without many of those dads. I didn't get here alone. Not even close. Great parents. Mentors who saw more in me than I saw in myself. A partner who has stood beside me through the good and bad. Friends who answered phone calls, opened doors, challenged me when I needed it, and co-workers that helped build things that never would've happened alone. Part of me still can't quite believe any of it is real. But god damn, today I am grateful. Grateful I get to be a dad to Maya, fortunate my Dad is still around, and grateful for all of the other dads in my life who model how to be good men and good dads.
Worth Your Time
Two moves this week. First, find the people who put you where you are and tell them. Parents, mentors, a partner, the ones who showed up. Don't assume they know. I'd suggest listening to this podcast with Walter Green. It's the podcast that I've shared the most over the last couple of years. Second, give a kid a pond. A creek, a backyard, a patch of dirt with no screen anywhere near it. Then get out of the way and let them be loud and bored and free. That is the good stuff, and they will remember it longer than anything you could buy them.
One Question
Who helped shape your life but has never heard you say thank you? Who needs a handwritten thank you from you?
Happy Father's Day,
Tony