Father’s Day 2005

5-30-05

Father’s day is very special to me. Not so much because of my own father, although he was a good Daddy.

But mostly because of what your query stated, what do we do for the father of our children.
I am so blessed. My husband and best friend is a wonderful father to our two teenagers. When my children were very small, like most mothers I was their primary caregiver. Diapers, bottles and childhood ailments were something my husband participated in from the sidelines. He certainly was there for ME, however, which was what was needed at that time in their lives. As our children grew older, my husband really stepped up to “bat” and has hit a home run so many times I believe he should go into the Fathers Hall of Fame.

In my late 20’s as my hearing deteriorated, my husband was not only my support and help, but he was really there for my kids. They were very young, and yet my inability to handle all that was happening as my world began a downward spiral into silence, required that my husband teach them how to cope with a mommy who couldn’t hear. Because of his intervention, I not only gained confidence and faith that I was not defined by my hearing loss, but my children grew up not fearing hearing loss. To them, communicating with a mommy who could not hear was simply communicating with mommy – no more, no less. As my hearing loss was progressive, their daddy modeled the kind of behavior and changes needed to continue communicating with me well. They have seen their daddy work hard to go through school and earn his doctorate in psychology at a rather old age of 37. They have seen him pass up jobs in order to work with and advocate for those with hearing loss. To my children, they know that their Daddy believes a worthy cause and worthy people, are more important than anything else. My children know their Daddy loves them, and loves me.

Our family makes Father’s Day a very special day. The kids write wonderful letters to Dad, and thank him for all the things that he does. And teenagers notice the most unusual “wonderful” kinds of things. Those letters each year mean a great deal to my husband, their Dad. I use to work very hard at making Father’s Day special for him. However, now that my kids are 14 and 15, they make it very special – all on their own.