Happy Father's Day

Father's Day is a Holiday celebrating Dad. Started in the early 20th century to complement the Mother's Day Holiday.

We don't do much with Father's Day around here. It usually falls around my daughter's birthday which is a nice distraction. My children have not seen their father in 7 years. This is by his choice. He last saw them when my son was in 4th grade and my daughter was in 2nd. He is now a Senior and she is a Sophomore.

He has never done homework with them, has never met their teachers, has never seen my son play baseball or my daughter volleyball. He did not teach them to drive. He does not take care of them when they are sick, or when their feelings are hurt. He doesn't do their laundry, tell them to clean up their room or talk to them about their day. He is not going to visit colleges with them or worrying about their SAT scores.

My son's birthday was last week, he sent him a text, the day after. He got a card, a week later. My daughter's birthday was yesterday, she has not heard from him. I reminded them both that today was Father's Day, just as I remind them every year that it is their father's birthday in March. My son (the peacemaker) said, "I will send him a text" as he went out the door to work. My daughter rolled her eyes.(those of you that know her are smiling)

Make no mistake I have good kids, my son has awesome grades, plays sports and has worked at Publix since he turned 15. My daughter has fantastic grades, plays volleyball, volunteers at the Food Pantry and wants to be a Doctor. Do I think their life would be different if their father was in it? Probably, better, not sure. I have plenty of divorced friends who waste a lot of time fighting over how their kids are raised. I know a couple of kids who have crappy step-fathers. I am by no means mother of the year. In fact some days I suck at it.  In spite of that they are ok. It is not the best, but it is how it is. This is not a rant against absent fathers, I am not mad. It is a reality, there are plenty of absent mothers too.

We are very lucky and I need to acknowledge and give a big thank you to all the good examples in my kids lives. My brother Rick, Coach Snap Wood, Coach Nick Regilio, Dom Amendolare, Robert Patt. Men who have taken time to be interested in them and what they do and they expect nothing in return. You are the examples I want them to take with them as they grow up.

Happy Father's Day