June 17, 2018: The Blueprint

posted in: Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Cubs, White Sox | 2

What is the blueprint of being a good dad?  There are many different versions; there is no one right answer.  We kind of each just feel our way through it, worrying about what we can control and hoping for the best.  It’s not easy, and I know it will get tougher.  Happy Father’s Day.

This is the first Father’s Day I didn’t spend with my Dad.  No bad reason.  Everything is good.  Only a really, really good reason would cause us not to be together on this day; seeing my wife’s dad.  He lives in Las Vegas, thus the trip to Las Vegas.  Yeah, it wasn’t just a normally scheduled vacation, or a reason to party, or a reason to gamble.  No, this Vegas trip was for a very specific reason.

How many times I’ve been to Vegas… man.  How many different types of Vegas trips I’ve been on.  It all started when I was 21, only a mere 20 years ago… damn I’m getting old.   Yeah, my dad took me there when I turned gambling and drinking age.  Although I had been doing plenty of each before then, I was now official, and there was only one sensible place to celebrate.  Vegas Baby!

My dad’s parents actually used to live out in Vegas too.  I was too young, I never saw them out there.  By the time I can remember, they were back in Chicago.  My dad and cousin helped them move back; I do remember that.

Since that first trip, there have been countless trips back.  If I had to guess, I’d say about 20 times.  A handful of trips with the boys, another trip with the family, and many, many drives through the desert from California with my future wife.  They were all fun in their own way.  Some I can remember, some I can’t remember… some I don’t want to remember.  I used to say they named a diving board at the Flamingo after me… yeah, Vegas wasn’t built by the winners.  But back to the current trip…
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This wasn’t the first time we went to see her dad, but the first time in 2 years.. the first time since his major surgery.  He’s doing good… he looks good.  It was good to see him; he was happy to see us… we brought his father’s day gift with us.

The last time he saw our son he was 4 years old.  He’s now 6, and a little man that he can have a full conversation with.  It’s not like they don’t have a relationship; they do… they talk every week.  But my son was so excited to see him; I think my father in law shared that feeling.  Seeing them together was great.  Seeing them walk through the mall holding hands made me happy.  My son is lucky to have all 4 of his grandparents; he loves them all so much.

So yeah, it was mission accomplished on this latest trip to Vegas.  No, I didn’t get any of my money back, but that wasn’t what this trip was all about.  Spending time with Grandpa Vegas was the goal, and we achieved it.

As we left Vegas, and unloaded our cab, the driver told me:  Be a good dad.  Being a good dad means putting your children above you.  Being a good dad means being a good husband too.  I didn’t read any books on either; maybe I should have.  I can only draw on my life experiences, and the example I had growing up.  Yep, it’s a constant learning experience, that’s for sure, but I did have a pretty decent blueprint to start from…

2 Responses

  1. MK

    That is all we can do, be the best dad we can be. There are no set rules. There is not really a right or wrong way of doing things. Every dad does it differently, their own way, but we certainly had the best example possible, and still do to this day, thankfully! We learn from it and him to help mold our behaviors as dads. People talk and will always judge this or that, but at the end of the day, as long as we know we are putting our best effort possible all the time, that’s all we can do. Thanks Dad!

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