Happy Father's Day to all the fathers of HIVE!
The photo above is one of my favorite photos of my husband (@oblivioncubed) and my son. It was taken not long after my daughter was born, during those hazy, blissful days that follow the birth of a new baby. (I know they are also difficult, stressful days, but retrospect always seems to paint them in a rosier light!)
I could not have asked for a better father for my children than this man. He is everything I am not. He is patient when I am short. He is playful when I am tired. He is kind when I am hasty. Because of him, my children see a better side of me. He is the type of father that is involved with every aspect of parenting. He changes diapers and reads stories and brushes teeth and sings songs. He keeps us all laughing and is ok with bedtime being delayed due to impromptu dance parties. I really do feel so lucky to have him in our lives.
I know father's day is harder on him these days. We lost my father-in-law to cancer a couple of years ago. Knowing that he will not be there to see our children grow is a sadness that will never go away. His father was a great man, and a wonderful grandfather to our son. I wish he could see him become a little boy. I wish he could have met our daughter. I know that he is still with us though. I see him in the way my husband cares for our children. The same patience and playfulness and pragmatism. My husband had a wonderful father, and it has made him a wonderful father as well.
My own father is of a similar type. Pragmatic and strong, but kind and silly and playful. I am so very glad that my son gets to know him as grandfather. I try to model some of these traits, but it is more difficult for me. The sensible and practical attitudes of my father are often negated by my tendency towards impatience and hot-temperedness. I will continue to work on it though.
All three of these wonderful men have had an irreversible effect on my life. I am better for knowing and loving each of them, and so are my children.
As I stole a moment for myself last night, I could hear coming, from the other room peels of laughter. Both my son and his baby sister doing full on belly laughs while they played with their father. It is moments like this that most remind me of how very lucky I am. Sounds of happiness in my home that can be heard in the next room. There is nothing quite so satisfying as that, it leaves me feeling content and happy and fullfilled.
This year for father's day, among other things, I helped my son make a special craft for his dad. Unfortunately I did not take any photos of the steps to making it. Below is a photo of the finished product. A hand-painted craft to hold all of the many tiny stones my son likes to collect for his daddy!
I hope everyone has a wonderful Father's day!