Ode to Dad

Dad is the unsung hero of the family. It's like Billy Graham once said: "A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”

Dad gets taken for granted because he's dependable, hard-working, and places his kids first.

At least that's the way it worked according to what I observed with my Darling Hubby and our 4 kids. Yep, 4 kids.

Here's what Jim Gaffigan had to say about that. "You know what it’s like having a fourth kid? Imagine you’re drowning, then someone hands you a baby."

Having kids and raising them? That's expensive. Just ask Steve Martin who said, "A father carries pictures where his money used to be.”

Dads give up a lot—like time that they once used for tennis, golf, reading, and hobbies. Ryan Reynolds explained it to his daughter like this: "On our 6 a.m. walk, my daughter asked where the moon goes each morning. I let her know it’s in heaven visiting daddy’s freedom.”

Our oldest son is old enough that he's the embodiment of Mark Twain's famous quote: "When I was a boy, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got older, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned."

Raising kids is exhausting. Just ask Ray Romano who said, “Having children is like living in a frat house. Nobody sleeps. Everything's broken, and there's a lot of throwing up."

Then they become teenagers and being dad really gets hard. "When your kids become teenagers, you understand the true meaning of karma, and you're scared your teens will do things as stupid as what you did when you were a teen." —My Darling Hubby

Takeaway Truth

If you're lucky enough to still have your dad and your grandfather, tell them how much you appreciate them.

Tell them you love them—and do that every chance you get.