Simple Moments of Fatherhood – June 15, 2003
Charles Francis Adams was the grandson of United States President John Adams. He was a successful lawyer, a member of Congress, and an ambassador to Britain. A busy man with little free time, he was also a father. One day he wrote in his diary, “Went fishing with my son today—a day wasted!” On that same date, Charles’s son, Brooks Adams, had written in his own diary, “Went fishing with my father today—the most wonderful day of my life.”[1]
Spending time with children is always time well spent. To some, doing the daily fatherly work of loving, nurturing, and teaching a child may not seem very exciting compared to the enticements of achievement and success outside the home. It’s easier to get standing ovations out in the world than to be venerated at home. But fathers who put family first, who take their son’s or daughter’s hand and walk through life with them are fathers to be honored. A day spent fishing with a child is never wasted, even if no fish are caught, even if more “important” things could be done. And ultimately, what can be more gratifying than to be important in the life of a child? Happy memories will outlast any career or social success.
A grown son whose father died years ago fondly remembers simple moments with Dad: doing yard work together, driving in his old truck to run errands, going to a football game, sleeping outside under the stars, talking late into the night about life, goals, and dreams. In these simple moments of everyday life, heaven comes to earth in the form of a dad—a dad who wants to be with his children, a dad whose energies are directed toward helping his children become responsible adults, a dad whose good example says more than words ever could. When those children are grown, they honor their father with lives well lived. They cherish his sacrifices. They always remember not only the days dad chose to spend with them, but the time he took most every day to love, teach, support, and bless them. Time always fades and most fathers grow old, but their love, example, and teachings never do.
Program #3852
[1] In Strengthening Our Families: An In-Depth Look at the Proclamation on the Family, ed. David C. Dollahite (2000), 198.