Thoughts From Father's Day

     I'm a big fan of The Avett Brothers.  I've always been a fan of music that packs a big emotional punch.  Not just the usual "oh baby, I love you so" type of emotion:  but emotions like insecurity, self-doubt, fear and disappointment.  The kinds of emotions that a lot of guys have a hard time coming to terms with, let alone throwing out there for public consumption.  The Avett Brothers certainly have their share of straight forward love songs, but they also add plenty of these less glamorous human emotions to the mix.  So today, on Father's Day, I found myself at work with the song Murder In The City stuck in my head.  That may seem, judging by the title alone, to be a curious song to have rolling through my mind on a day like Father's Day; but a quick listen to the lyrical content of the song will reveal the connection.





     When I think of my role as a father, of course I realize that it is very likely the most important task I will ever undertake.  And that brings a lot of pressure with it, and worry, and doubt about my abilities to do it well.  I don't walk out the door every morning worried that I won't be returning; and I doubt that Scott Avett does either.  But, the thought of not being around or able to raise my children does manage to creep into my mind now and again.  Even just the nagging thought that I had made a poor decision in some situation that had presented itself to me at home can bring on worries about whether or not I have the ability to do the right thing by my daughters.  We all need reassurances on occasion.

     Then, midway though the song we get that reassurance from a father/son moment:  a tender sentiment shared from a father to his son.  Sometimes a simple statement such as "I love you and I'm proud of you" can be enough.  None of us who become parents walk into the job with a manual.  Most of us only have the blueprint that our own parents left for us in our youth.  Thankfully, I had just enough of those father/son or mother/son moments to have a template to refer to in my own parenting life.

     As the song draws to a close, the message that most every father would want his family to understand, to know, and to feel is revealed. 

Make sure my daughter knows I love her.  Make sure her mother knows the same.  Always remember there is nothing worth sharing, like the love that let us share our name.

     Hopefully, in words or actions, my family gets this message from me.  I'm quite sure that they do.  But its always better to put it out there for them to see and hear; just to remove the doubt.