A Tribute to Dads

June 15, 2002

by Robert Yoho

It has been said that any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad. As we approach another Father’s Day, I would like to offer a tribute to Dad, yours and mine.

Dads prepare us for life’s hard knocks by never stopping to wipe away the tears or kissing the bruised knees and elbows. Instead, they tell us to: "Shake it off, boy! Walk it out! Knock it off! Get up! You’re not hurt!" By doing this, dads transform their sniveling little boys into men of stature and recreate themselves again.

Dads prepare us for hard physical labor and joining the work force by insisting that we clean the garage or basement, by taking out the trash, or simply cutting the grass.

Dads teach us to be frugal and fiscally responsible by telling us how hard they had to work for the money they give us and by foolishly trying to convince us that the cheap, black, generic sandwich cookie actually tastes just like an Oreo.

Dads teach their sons how to defend themselves when harassed by the school bully. But they do it with fists and martial arts - not weapons. They also prepare them for the fact that the bullies never go away in their later years. The bullies sometimes just move on to other fields. Some of them become company executives, union bosses, or possibly government officials.

Dads prepare us for unpleasant tasks and life’s unexpected difficulties by showing us how to repair the leaky pipe, the flat tire, or the clogged gutters. Real dads teach their boys to eventually become gentlemen by respecting their mother, by opening the door for a lady, or by giving up their seat to an elderly person.

Responsible dads teach their kids: "Life isn’t fair. You don’t get everything you want in life. The world owes you nothing. There are no summer vacations or spring breaks after high school and college."

Dads teach their sons to make life easier for the next person who follows them. They build the bridges across the swollen streams; they remove the storm-downed trees from the roadways; they shovel the snow from the driveways.

Dads teach their kids to pay their bills, to keep their word, and to deal squarely with everyone. They teach us how to play the sports that will create, strengthen, and reveal our character throughout our lives. Dads teach their sons to respect life on hunting and fishing trips by never taking more than they can consume.

Dads take pleasure when their stay-at-home wives lovingly refer to them as their "meal tickets." Dads long for their children to succeed. They nod proudly when a child does the right thing.

Dads often labor behind the scenes with little fanfare. In today’s feminized society, the kind of men who built this country are regarded as heartless, knuckle-dragging Neanderthals. They are criticized by many. Feminist groups call them "deadbeats, abusers, and rapists." The media often blames them for all the ills of our nation.

Dads boldly defend their homes and families from danger. They are the ones who arm themselves and investigate the "strange noises" coming from downstairs. While walking down the sidewalk, they strategically place themselves between their loved ones and the busy street traffic. And sometimes, dads find it necessary to travel to other lands and risk their lives in combat to defend their homes and homeland. Some of them return to praise and ticker tape parades; others are spit upon and called "baby killers."

Dads are built with a strong shoulders for their wives to cry on. They are equipped with strong arms for children to swing on. During times of tragedy, Dads are the ones we lean on.

But despite what you think of them, America is a nation built by men. Women need them. Children learn from them. A home is never fully realized without them. A nation hungers for them.

Husbands and fathers are repeatedly criticized, stereotyped, under appreciated, and maligned. Attacking them has become fashionable, politcally corrrect and "trendy." But real men and fathers merely shrug their shoulders and stoically live with the ridicule.

For they have already realized that life is not supposed to be easy for them. That is why they are called men!