Grads, Dads…and Weddings

By Kathi Macias –

June? Already? Seriously??? How did that happen? By the time this month has come to an end, 2010 will be half over—and another one of the busiest seasons of the year will have come and gone as well.I know. Thanksgiving to New Year’s is supposed to be the most hectic season imaginable, and it usually is. But if you have people in your family graduating or getting married in June, this month is stressful beyond imagining. Especially if you’re a dad.

Father’s Day. The holiday meant to honor dads. So why put it right in the middle of a month that, second only to Christmas, threatens to turn men into human ATM machines? Is it possible it was done on purpose, just so we’d remember to at least get Dad/Hubby a new tie or another soap-on-a-rope so he won’t feel completely forgotten?

If you had June grads or weddings in your family in the last few years, you know the drill.

“Honey, we found the perfect gown for Susie’s wedding! And don’t worry; it’s on sale! Nearly $2,000 off the original price. Of course, I had to use that $2,000 we saved on the dress to rent the reception hall. And the band is going to cost a bit more than I thought, but not nearly as much as the flowers or cake.”

(If you pulled that one on the poor guy, I hope you had the smelling salts handy. The only bright spot on his horizon is knowing that he actually gets to give the bride away. Trust me, he’s counting the days!)

Or how about this one?

“Dad, I know you already paid for my prom dress and senior pictures and senior trip and senior ring and…well, several other senior-type things. But now I need to pay to rent the cap and gown, and I don’t have the right shoes to go with them. But I did find a deal on the limo to take me to and from the ceremony, which means I can use the extra money from that to buy the ticket for the all-night graduation party and…”

Any wonder Dad doesn’t wake up smiling on Father’s Day, excited that his family is going to take him to his favorite restaurant for brunch? He already knows that after the entire family has stuffed itself to overflowing, the bill is going to land in his lap, right?

At the risk of sounding like the late Rodney Dangerfield, I don’t think dads get the respect they deserve. And TV certainly doesn’t help! Sitcoms portray the men of the family as being barely able to tie their own shoes or cross the street, let alone lead their family in any meaningful way. I personally find that very sad.

My dad wasn’t a believer until the last week of his 88^th year on earth, but he was a man who loved his family and set an example worth following. He worked hard, taught us mutual respect and personal responsibility, and showed us by example that his word could be trusted. He was my first hero, and I honor his memory every chance I get.

Graduations and weddings are important, and most of us have experienced scores of both through the years. But Fathers’ Day is still my favorite, even though I can no longer celebrate it with my dad. If your dad hasn’t yet “graduated” to heaven, I pray you’ll take the opportunity this year to honor him on that day. After all, so long as you’re alive, there will probably be more weddings and graduations in your future—but you never know when you’ll run out of Fathers’ Days to spend with that very special man you call “Dad.”

Kathi Macias is a popular speaker, radio host, and an award-winning author of more than thirty books, as well as a mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and “biker chick” (aka Easy Writer). You can find out more about her at www.kathimacias.com, http://kathieasywritermacias.blogspot.com, www.blogtalkradio.com/communicatethevision.