Happy Fathers' Day

Today is another stupid Hallmark card-selling holiday like Valentine's Day, Grandparents' Day, Bosses' Day, Administrative Professionals' Day, and Christmas. These earmarked days do provide a chance for us to reflect a bit and thank those who matter to us, but I resent having a calendar tell me when to express my love or appreciation to anyone. Then again, were it not for the calendar or a brightly-colored display in the card section of Target, I might forget to share any sentiments at all. While I don't much care for the so-called "holidays," I've felt a bit left out on this one since 2006. Like being rejected by a club I didn't really want to join in the first place.

But Fathers' Day now gives me a chance to watch my happy kids pick out, sign, and hand-deliver cards to their dad. (Well worth the cost of a couple of $6.00 cards.) Katy called him this morning from my in-laws' house to tell him she loves him and misses him. Her sweet voice on the phone is priceless. She's nine, but on the phone she still sounds like a four-year-old. I guess it's OK to give in to this calendar-scheduled love-offering just for that.

This morning I overheard Mike talking to his dad and telling him how fortunate he is to have such a supportive, generous, and loving father. (I did get lucky in the in-laws department.) I sat there wishing I had at least picked out a card for us to send.

I think of my dad and miss him every day. I can't tell him I love him like I used to no matter what day it is.

But hey, one less card to buy.

Bits of Quick Wit From my Kids

I may have mentioned this one somewhere before, but it bears repeating:

As the kids and I were walking from the carwash to a nearby restaurant, Katy got all excited when she found a penny. A few steps later, I found a dime. (Lots of change falls out of cars, I guess, and I say finders = keepers.) I sort of taunted her and said, "So what? I found a dime." She did not miss a beat. She replied, "There's nothing lucky about dimes."

And this will become a family classic, I'm afraid:

On a windy day not long ago, Luke was grabbing his package (as all males do--and apparently never outgrow). I pointed and asked, "You afraid it's gonna blow away?" "Nope," he said, "I've got a pretty good hold of it." When I told him he doesn't need to grab it all the time, he said, "Oh, I get it. Kind of like, 'If you love something, set it free.'"

Dang, they crack me up.