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Subscribe to this list via RSS Blog posts tagged in Fathers Day

Posted by on in Paths Blogs
Fathers' Day

My daddy died when I was 26. 

At the time, I thought I was so grown up, but now that I am in my mid-60s (how the hell did that happen) I realize how very young I was when he passed. Not like some of my friends who lost parents in their teens, not like the kids I babysat for whose dad died of cancer when they were barely out of nappies, but I was still young. My daddy never knew me as an adult.

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
A Summer Solstice With Dad

Dads don't always get a fair shake. They have to take a good deal of kidding around, and often aren't as idealized as Moms. They aren't always the first parent that kids run to when they need nurturing or advice. Let's be honest—they often are the recipients of lame gifts. There are ways we can shift some of these attitudes and routines, however. What are the positive aspects of a father? Protection, safety, and security are strong associations. How about gifting you the confidence to do things on your own? Fathers can be great mentors in this regard, teaching you how to master a task, then stepping aside to let you take the wheel. This Summer Solstice think about ways that you can honor the fatherly aspects of the Oak King, the Holly King, and your own Dad.

Consider a cookout or camping trip with your Pop. If you do plan to camp, check your county and state parks' rules ahead of time this summer. Many have changed due to COVID-19, and most campgrounds require you to make a reservation in advance online. It's still all about the outdoors for safety right now, so even if weather is a little dicey, try to plan so that you'll be under a picnic shelter or tarp if necessary. You might need to take a deep breath and be flexible with your plans, if Mother Nature has others in store. Keep the mood light and fun, for everyone's sake. For a really unique theme and an open-minded Dad, try an Incan Summer Solstice ceremony and menu. Bring a locally bought or home-brewed beer, mead, or wine to share with him. Play a favorite card game that you used to growing up (might want to don the face masks for this one, though). To this day, my family is still cultivating some fierce Uno players. Set up a bean bag toss that the young ones can join in. Despite any rumors, badminton remains a nice no-contact sport. Likewise with that old-fashioned croquet set gathering cobwebs in your garage. Enjoy reminiscing about some of your more comic adventures growing up. Share a toast to more good times to come.

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Fathers and Sons (Plus the World's Oldest Gay Joke)

While I've never actually sired any children myself,* I have had the good fortunate to help with the raising of several of our coven kids.

The first of them was maybe a year old when we went to the store one day.

The cashier smiled.

“He looks like his father,” she said.

Really, there was only one possible response.

“Yes, he does,” I said, smiling back.

 


*The world's oldest gay joke:

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Fathers and Sons

My father watches me approach. The look on his face is complex.

He shakes his head, wondering.

“You look so much like my father,” he says.

Sometimes one single sentence is the very best gift you can give.

He's right: the rangy build, the jaw, the widow's peak. Right now I'm about the age that my grandfather would have been when I first remember him.

He was born in Vienna. I'd always thought that his name was Frank, but recently I found out that his parents named him (for the kaiser, I suppose) Franz Josef.

I'd be willing to bet that he chose Frank himself. Except for songs, he always refused to teach his children any German.

“We're Americans,” he'd say.

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Posted by on in Culture Blogs
Heart of the Storm

It may well be my first memory.

I'm laying in the dark screaming, terrified of the thunder that has wakened me. My father comes into the room and scoops me up into his arms.

We're moving. I distinctly remember passing from the darkness of the hall into the light of the kitchen. My mother is saying: Russell, what are you doing? Russell, what are you doing?

He carries me out the back door. Rain is sluicing down. We both must have been soaked through immediately, though I don't remember noticing. Out we go, into the heart of the storm.

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Recent Comments - Show all comments
  • Steven Posch
    Steven Posch says #
    It's a date.
  • Aline "Macha" O'Brien
    Aline "Macha" O'Brien says #
    I remember dancing and playing in the warm Summer rains in NJ, but not when there was lightning. Our collie used to cower in fear
  • Steven Posch
    Steven Posch says #
    Yikes. Doesn't know His own strength.
  • Anthony Gresham
    Anthony Gresham says #
    We had a squall line of thunderstorms blow through here last Thursday. It lest as much damage as some of the hurricanes have. So
  • Steven Posch
    Steven Posch says #
    We've just had a line of destructive storms roll through to the north of us, with (yikes) apple-sized hail. Even in the city, wher

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