Glad for Dads

Yesterday the Wee Ones and I headed to the store to purchase Father's Day cards. I was particularly inspired because Hubby-Honey's best friend, career Air Force man and godfather to Big Boy, had just called from where he's stationed in Korea to check in and see how I'm doing.

Working oceans away from his beloved wife and three children that he misses dearly, and he's kind enough to think of his godson and see about what's going on in our comparatively mundane lives. Sweet. These are the kinds of men and dads that circulate in my life. I am grateful.

So when I'm in the store and checking out the selection (or lack thereof) of cards that speak to dads like these, I'm frustrated. The cards I come across seem to address dads who are/were ATM's or A-holes, who we obligatorily acknowledege on this upcoming holiday, because it's seemingly the right thing to do.

I did, after spending more time than I'd planned, manage to find cards that conveyed what I was feeling for the dads I had in mind. But the experience made me think of the call on Thanks Ranks Radio that I fielded from Kirsten during the archived May 24th show, where she noted that good dads don't seem to get the credit they deserve from the greeting card companies, or our society.

Now don't get me wrong. I know there are a lot of fathers out there who have fallen abysmally short of their duties and responsibilities. But I submit there are more good guys working diligently and lovingly at this fatherhood thing than we are seeing in the media and elsewhere.

Which prompted me to contact an author I'd just learned about earlier in the week, and see if he might be able to join me on today's Thanks Ranks Radio show that will be focusing on fathers. His name is David Manuel, and in his "spare" time, he wrote a book, I Am A Father: Celebrating African-American Fathers, that came out last month.

Turns out he's made himself available, so I invite you to tune in and see what he has to say about his experience in delving into the father-child relationship.

And for kicks, I've invited my father, affectionately known as "Poppy", to also join us on the show. He's reluctantly agreed, because that's what good dads do for their relentless daughters. :-) I don't know how much I'll get out of him, but if ever you've wondered what tree this odd apple fell from, you may be able to get half the story today!

David, Poppy: I'll see you later today on Thanks Ranks Radio at 3:00 EST. For indulging me, you've just been added to The Thanks Ranks.

Happy Anniversary, Traci and Renard (another fine father in my book)!