Happy Father's Day 2007!

Ah, Father’s Day is nearly here; now what?

BRIAN WALKER THE KENTUCKY STANDARD

When Father’s Day rolls around annually I try to think of a unique or special gift for Dad. He’s a great guy and doesn’t need anything, but it’s nice to give him something unique. Dad claims such holidays are meaningless to him and the money is better spent on the kids. I agree in theory, but you just about have to get dear old Dad a little something.

My two youngsters aren’t yet old enough to shop for a gift and the older one usually brings me a creation from art class at daycare. My wife, Donna, gets me a gift from her and the children and two cards as well.All of that is nice, but I honestly have decided, like my own Dad, it’s better to spend money on the kids than on me. I love the gifts but children are top priority.

For example, I recently spent many sweaty, splinter-filled hours hand constructing a swing set for my dynamic duo. It was a design of my own and with some assistance and tools from my omniscient neighbor, David, the swings are a delight to the kids.

“Thank you and Mr. David for making me and my sister a swing set,” my son, Keegan, said. “I can swing real high and it’s a lot of fun.”Yes it is little man and you’re worth every single scratch and bruise I endured and obscenity I uttered while building it. Your sister, Addison, will like it too, she’s only 9 months old though.

My honest wish for Father’s Day is to be able to crawl under my 1975 Chevrolet Nova and turn a few rusty old bolts. We stay so busy with work, kids and stuff on the side that I haven’t touched it in three years and that’s a shame. That car is therapeutic, although Donna disagrees. She said it’s impossible to love something that causes me so much grief and bloody knuckles. It’s not worth much, it smells bad, leaks and doesn’t run anymore.

I asked her if she loved me and Donna said that was a crazy question. “Of course I do,” she said. “Why would you even ask me that?”

“Well it’s simple,” I said. “I’m not worth much, cause you a lot of grief, smell bad, leak and don’t run anymore. There’s the time I accidentally smashed your fingers and gave you bloody knuckles moving the refrigerator, too.”

But in the end nothing beats being a father. I never knew that loving another human this much was possible. Keegan and Addison make me smile when I’m down. They give me a reason to get out of bed in the morning and taking care of them is one of my only pure joys in life.

I now finally understand phrases such as “I love you more than life itself” and “put that down before you set the house on fire.” Without my kids those words and many others would have been only a memory from childhood and had no real meaning.

Happy Father’s Day.