Father’s Day has a different meaning to me since my own father, James “Jimmy” Lupton passed away. I am thankful for the time I had with my dad. He was a good man, difficult sometimes but I know he loved me and I loved him. We didn’t always see eye to eye. Dad grew up in an era where he was the boss of the house. He had the personality to command respect at work and at home. Mom and I were both timid and did not think to challenge his authority, well, not until I reached those lovely teenage years. It’s funny, dad and I became closer during those years while mom and I drifted apart.
I worked summers with my dad, first painting houses and later as his assistant. Dad was an electrician. He had wanted me to love it like he did and get my license, but it wasn’t for me. Dad told me later he had no clue what to do with a little girl. When I was a baby he wanted me to be grown so I could tell him what was wrong, as I got older, he wanted his little girl back. I guess all parents question ourselves. We want to do what is right for our kids. I guess that in itself is the mark of a good parent.
As a parent and grandparent, I know now how much I don’t know. My parents always seemed to know how to be parents, but I didn’t have a clue. Come to find out, they didn’t either. Today, as I look at my sons, all fathers now, I am amazed at how well they manage. They seem to know what they are doing. They face the challenge of parenting, often from long distance, or in a near panic at the frantic pace of juggling, life, career and family obligations.
I am blessed to have had a father who was there for me, even if he didn’t always agree with me. A father, who as I got older, became my friend. My husband is a little like my dad, that same strong personality, but thankfully, he’s from a different era, where co-parenting was the norm and Daddy didn’t always Know Best.
As Father’s Day comes to a close, I’d like to thank those fathers and father figures who have influenced my life, some still do: my dad and granddads who are no longer with us, my uncles, of whom, only two remain, my sons, each a father and thankfully, good men and good dads, and lastly my husband and father-in-law who continue to support me and this family in so many ways. I am thankful for you all.
Happy Father’s Day