Fathers Day

By Gilbert B. Elwyn

When we write these “wig bubbles” as Lord Buckley might have called them, we use the “editorial we”. This is done for a few reasons: 1) we have read other columnists who use it and we are very imitative, 2) we don’t like seeing I repeated in our columns as we think it makes us appear egotistic. (We actually ARE egotistic; we just don’t wish to appear so), 3) we enjoy the fact that, if you don’t enjoy or agree with one of our columns, that you might think, via our “we”, that our editor has foisted hi opinion upon you and we are only doing his bidding by penning the offensive article.

But, for this column, we feel it necessary to write in first person singular. When I write about my father and fathers in general, I want the personal touch that only “I” can bring.

First, I can never be ½ the man that my father is, but that’s okay. ½ of someone that good is better than some people’s whole. Second, when I look around at athletes, actors, politicians, musicians, and men of the cloth for a role model – though many are fine people -they all fall short by comparison. I only need look close at hand to my father.

Yes, I’m prejudiced in this regard because my father is as full of love as he is of life. He loves me, regardless of how and what I do. He loves me at times when I don’t love myself, nor should I. His hands are guiding, helping, playing, sharing, nurturing and, yes, disciplining, and their motivation is always love.

He sometimes wears a cap that I bought him: World’s Greatest Dad. And he is. I’m certain that there are many other sons and daughters who could and would make the case for their own fathers. That’s as it should be. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.

For each and every son or daughter who has had to grow through their formative years – and those years never stop until the day we die – without a loving father to accompany them, I am the more thankful for my own father.

If you are one of the fortunate, as I am, I hope you’ll follow my lead as I say:

Happy Fathers Day, Pop! And Thank You!