Father's Day Off!
Should Dads get the day off on Father's Day?
There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children.
Allow me to bury the lead several paragraphs down so you have to read through my musings to get the answer. The answer is no, but kind of no. What does that even mean, the day off? We’d have to figure out what that is first. So, should they get a break from the kids? No, they shouldn’t.
That’s one hell of a message to send to your kids. Of course breaks need to happen. Date nights with the wife. Some quiet time. Go ham, go nuts. But it’s Father’s Day. It’s the day to celebrate the Dads. If you would prefer and your wife or whomever wants to, they can take the brunt of the load regarding planning and execution, sure, but be with your kids if you can.
Hey, it’s my day and I want you kids to go away. You’re told it’s special and you should tell me Happy Father’s Day but I don’t want you around.
No, just no. If this is a day of rest, we need to frame it as one. If it’s a reprieve, show them it’s a reprieve. But it’s posited as a celebration, so GIVE ME MY KIDS!
I love them and I want to be with them. I want to celebrate with them. Without those little monsters, I am not a father. I would not be a Dad. I would not, and this is in my case, I would not be much of an adult without them. I wouldn’t know as much as I do without them. There would have been little driving force behind me reading and listening and learning everything I could get my hands on if not for them.
I made them, yes, but they made ME. They showed me what I could be. They showed me what I SHOULD be. They showed me what life is and the beauty behind it. They showed me how to love properly, how to love fully.
They showed me how to be curious. They showed me how to be silly. They showed me how to look upon the world in wonder and awe. They showed me, again, how to live. They showed me that life is worthwhile, that life is worth living. They showed me that life is worth preserving. They showed me the world is more than the suffering and pain we’re shown every day. They showed me they are why we have to make this world better.
They are why there’s a father’s day.
I am a in the background here.
They’re celebrating me on this day.
So I will celebrate with them.
Love,
Dad
Hi there,
I am truly grateful for your support and interest in my writing. It's been an amazing journey with my 'Dad Explains' Substack, and I hope you're finding value in the insights I share as I navigate this beautiful, often confusing, thing we call life.
I genuinely want my work to reach as many people as possible, and to make that happen, I've introduced a paid subscription option. Your subscription not only supports the work, but it also gives you access to exclusive content, discussions, and more - a closer look at the world through the lens of a dad trying to figure things out.
However, I understand that not everyone might be in a position to upgrade to a paid subscription at this moment. If you're facing financial constraints, or there's another reason why you can't subscribe just yet, please don't hesitate to reach out. Write to me at dad@dadexplains.life, and I'll add you on as a paid subscriber for a bit for free.
Remember, we're all in this together. Let's continue to learn, grow, and navigate this journey together.
Best,
Andrew Ussery
Dad
I have always found the logic of that odd. This is Father's day, a day to celebrate our relationship and the bond I am trying ro build with my kids. Let's wrestle and BBQ.