A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of spending Dad’s weekend with my daughter Jordan at WSU. I’ve been to many Dads’ weekends, but never as a dad. I was reminded what an honor it is to carry the title dad. When I think of the many words and titles that have been used to address me (some I am unable to print in a public forum like this) I like dad. Dictionary.com defines it as an informal word for father. More intriguing however was the origin of the word: dad recorded from c.1500, but probably much older, from child's speech, nearly universal and probably prehistoric. I love that; probably prehistoric! This past season thanks to one of our coaches, retired Army Sergeant First Class James Cruz, our high school football team emphasized addressing coaches with the title “coach”. In other words, if we asked a player a question, they were expected to answer “yes coach” or “I line up here, coach” etc. it was fun for me to watch my own sons wrestle with the awkwardness of addressing me as coach rather than dad. Often I would hear Keila call me, “coach dad”! Once in a while they would get in trouble if they called me dad and not coach. What the other coaches didn’t realize was, if discipline and respect was what we were after, for me, “dad” is a much more honoring and respectful title than even coach.

 

Since prehistoric times (I guess?) fathers have been called “dad”. Unfortunately today, we sometimes take the title dad for granted. Almost anyone can father a child – it takes a man to be a dad. We are born with the ability to father a child – it doesn’t take any skill, it doesn’t take any work, it doesn’t require any discipline, sacrifice or character (in fact sometimes it helps if you don’t). Oh but to be a dad…

• It means first and foremost modeling life before your kids; not doing it perfectly, but doing it honestly and with integrity.
• It means honoring (and hopefully loving) the woman called mom. Regardless of your own relationship with her, she will always be your child’s mom.
• It means sacrificing your own desires (the ball game, sleep, a new truck etc.) in order to meet the needs of your children.
• It means humbling yourself enough to get help when you need it, to admit when you’re wrong, to work on the areas that need work.
• It means hanging in there when you feel like running! I can’t tell you how many times I found myself wishing I could just run away and take care of myself. Being a dad means fighting for your family till the very end.
• It means being your kid’s first and best teacher, in school and in life.
• It means being your kid’s first and best pillow to cry on.
• It means praying for and blessing your wife and your kids.
• And it means so much more!!!

By my own list, I’m an awful dad – except I’m still here duking it out. I’m still here screwing up, saying I’m sorry, asking for forgiveness and another chance. I’m still here on my knees begging God for wisdom with my married daughter and her families future, my adult daughter who’s car broke down and needs help figuring out what to do, my adult son trying to decide where God wants him to invest his life, my college daughter working hard to keep her grades up, my high school senior making a life changing decision about where to attend college… you get the picture. It would be so much easier to run away and just deal with my own issues. But I’m a dad and proud of it! The next time your child calls you dad, I hope you say, Thank-you!