I want to take a moment this Father’s Day to share some thoughts about fathers.

As I’ve shared before, I did not have a stable father in my childhood. However, I did have dreams of one.

Andy Griffith – a great man who shared his values and beliefs through his work. He was my “Fantasy Father.” I didn’t have one of my own but if I could have picked one it would have been him.

Whether the real man was as he was portrayed I don’t know for sure but one thing I do know is that I married a man who would have fulfilled all those dreams for me. I know because he fulfilled them for my sons.

He has been a strong example and loving, patient father to the son I share with him and the two sons that came with me when he married me.

He stepped into a role that was not easy. Instant father to 8 and 12 year old boys. The older maybe a little apprehensive and loyal to his biological dad but the 8 year old welcomed him with open arms.

There were times of trouble and stress but he did not walk away. He could have easily said, “I didn’t sign up for this” and walked away. I am forever grateful he did not.

After 8 years, he became a father to his own son. He had already navigated adolescence and teen years, so he was now able to enjoy watching his son grow and explore the world in the early years.

Our son had trials of his own, the worst is the illness that brought him close to death several times. During this time, some 30+ years after we wed, he showed the same strength, wisdom and care that he had done so many years before.

One Father’s Day that touched my heart in the middle of this trial was in 2013. Our son had been in the hospital for nearly two months, after 3 surgeries, internal bleeding, malnourished, and immune compromised. He was in a fragile condition. Through it all, Chris was our tower of strength… he held us together. That Father’s Day I wrote:

Chris spent the weekend with J; talk about an awesome father. He has been the rock of strength on which we have all been leaning on.

During this entire ordeal Chris in addition to spending hours with us here and keeping up with work at SubTerra, he has driven around town feeding J’s fish, checking in at his office, picking up mail, even trepidatiously going to the data center to restart or service servers.

On this Father’s Day he came in with coffee and said the cafeteria lady told him his coffee was free if he had a picture of his son. He broke down in tears when he told me he showed her the one of him walking in the hall yesterday.

Nothing says I love you from your Father like emptying the urinal and holding you up as you walk.

This Father’s Day, he has the love and respect of all three of his sons. Fatherhood is not a cakewalk, it is a journey of changes, challenges, patience and unconditional love.

Thank you Chrissie for all that you have done to make our lives better.