Father's Day 2013

I've decided to be proactive and tell my kids what I want for Father's Day. Here it is:

What I Want for Father’s Day

Dear Sons,

Father’s Day is coming up, and I thought I should tell you what I want. This way there’s no guilty panic or last minute purchasing of gift cards at the nearest convenience store. So, this is what I want, this year and every year after; it’s pretty simple really.

I want you to live a life where, 50 years from now, you don’t have to say, “I wish I had...”.

I want you to be a decent human being.

I want you to accept the pain of striking out so that you know the glory of hitting a home run.

I want you to learn the Golden Rule, Ten Commandments, or whatever version of those things reminds you to treat others the way you would want to be treated.

I want you to work hard at everything you do, because life is too short not to give it everything you’ve got.

I want you to recognize that there are people in prison who are happy and content, and people in nice neighborhoods, with big houses and fancy cars who are seriously depressed. Life deals the cards. You decide how to play the hand.

I want you to ask for help when you need it.

I want you to help others when they need it.

I want you to accept the things that you cannot change and work hard to improve the things that you can change.

I want you to help make this world the kind of world you want to live in.

I want you to know how to cook, do your own laundry, pay your bills and clean a bathroom, and to do these things regularly.

When you screw up, and you will, more than once, I want you to own it, because it’s the screw-ups that make the victories sweeter.

I want you to travel, because the world is huge and you are one part of it.

I want you to know that even when we stress each other out, I will never stop loving you.

I want you to play nicely with others.

I want you to feed your curiosity.

I want you to be kind to animals, little children, and old people (especially Mom and I).

I want you to find a way to do what you love, and realize that it might look different than you originally thought.

I want you to respect every human being’s right to be who he or she is.

I want you to be more interested in other people than in yourself.

I want you to know that you are flawed and you are extraordinary. There is no one else like you.

I want you to know that I would lay down my life for you any day of the week on a second’s notice.

I want you to realize how lucky you are, every once in a while, even if only for an instant.

I want you to know love like your mother and I have, even if it means getting hurt getting there.

I want you to relax and not feel guilty about it.

I want you to know life can be brutally hard sometimes.

I want you to know that you can choose happiness even when the dark side offers you cookies.

And I wouldn’t mind having my car vacuumed, washed and waxed.

See, simple.

Love,

Dad

(adapted and heavily revised from something I read on someone else's facebook page).