Dear Friends,
I know this is one of the most cliché of all clichés, but I can’t believe how fast the year is flying by. Last week was Father’s day, which I think is almost exactly the year’s halfway point. Time is just bizarre. But I don’t want to dive into the philosophical black hole that is time right now.
I want to talk about FATHERS.
How did Father’s Day go for you? It’s always fun to scroll through Instagram and see all the tributes to all the fathers and husbands out there. I especially love the tributes to new fathers, with sweet pictures of young husbands holding little infants. I don’t know, there’s something hopeful about young dads and the potential they have for good. My friends Amy and Blake McClary just had their first, a precious little girl, and Amy posted a sweet tribute to Blake here.
OBX trip years ago, with me wearing a skimpier suit than I ever would dare try now.
I love seeing pictures of my own dad as a young dad. I was my parents’ first, so they were basically still babies when I was born. My mom and dad tell stories of taking one-year-old me on rides on their beloved scooter all around Provo, UT (probably without a helmet!). While the stories are funny and quaint, I question their judgment a bit until I remember it was the late 80’s.
When I was younger, my dad served as a source of support and safety. He was one of the sure things I could count on. The consistency of his schedule was comforting. Every day, he went to work and then came home to ask about our day. His homecoming was the daily signal for us to eat dinner. He always came to my recitals and plays and drove us to church. This helped me as I was somewhat of a neurotic child that thrived on structure.
OBX trip just last year, boogie boarding next to my dear old dad, the man who taught me how.
As I’ve gotten older and more mature, though, my relationship with my dad has developed into a deeper and more meaningful relationship. The rose-colored glasses of childhood may have come off, but I see him as a real person. We talk often and I rely on him for advice. He has an incredible knack for analogies and a way of helping me realistically analyze my decisions. But no matter what, I still have his support in all my crazy decisions. He’s gotten used to my bomb-dropping calls, like the time I told him I was taking a break from school to serve an 18-month mission for our church or when I told him I was quitting my job to move to Arizona. He also puts up with all the teasing coming from his five kids, including answering to the superhero nickname we’ve given him, which is Big Gerg.
To thank him for all he’s done for me this year, I went crazy and gave my dad a shirt for Father’s Day. BUT it wasn’t just any shirt, it was a #DemoDay shirt from Chip and Joanna’s Magnolia Market. My family watches Fixer Upper religiously (if you don’t, you should! It’s on Netflix!), and my dad has developed a bit of a “man crush” on Chip. Needless to say, he’s worn the shirt the past few nights.
I have so many great examples of great fathers in my life. My own father, my grandad and grandpa, my uncles, and so many of my dear friends.
Father’s Day often makes me think of the John Mayer song “Daughters.” I remember when it came out, way back in 2003. I loved John Mayer and was so excited for his “Heavier Things” album that I drove to Target (I think with just my permit) and bought it the first day it went on sale. That cloudy afternoon, I lay on my couch with headphones on and the CD in a walkman, listening to it on repeat. I cried the first time I heard “Daughters,” track 08.
“Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do
Girls become lovers who turn into mothers
So mothers be good to your daughters, too”
John Mayer, though sometimes he goes off the rails, speaks the truth in this case. Fathers play such an important part in our lives. And so do moms. Basically, we just need good parents in this world.
I am so glad for my dad and all the examples I’ve had in my life to help me become a better person. Including all of you.
I hope you all had a great Father’s Day and were able to spend it with people you love.
In the meantime, don’t think too much about how time passes or else you will slowly find your mind slipping away.
Your grateful friend,
