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Happy Father's Day!
Jun. 20th, 2005 12:26 amA day late, I know, but at least I'm writing about today.
I spent this past weekend helping out at church, where the service was actually pretty enjoyable. Several of the church's pastors performed with their sons in a combined vocal, dance and video special that was actually pretty moving.
I then headed over to the cemetery to pay my respects to my late parents for Father's Day. I took a couple bouquets of flowers to the gravesite only to discover that nobody else had stopped by (when I went on Mother's Day, the gravesite was full of flowers and I ended up transferring some of them to an adjacent grave, that of my mom's first husband, who passed away of cancer back in 1963).
It seemed a bit sad that everyone seemed to remember my mom on Mother's Day, but -- at least at the time I went -- nobody seemed to remember my dad on Father's Day. Of course, it doesn't mean that nobody else came by after I left since I went around midafternoon, but still....
I will always remember my parents as having loved and raised me well, and for helping guide me to the path that I have now chosen to follow. And for that I am very grateful, for I've seen entires by others who aren't, or may not necessarily, be on those same relationship terms with their parents.
In closing, I'm reminded of a quote (which I'm writing from memory) from A Goofy Movie (1985), which I would actually consider a really good Father's Day-type movie because of its father-son relationship theme:
Goofy: "Maybe Max isn't everything you think a son should be, but he loves me."
Pete: "Hey, my son respects me!"
Goofy: "Yeah..."
Bottom line I get from that is that I think Goofy hit the nail on the head with his comment. I think it's more important for a son to love his father than to respect him, though often love will lead to respect. But respect born out of fear and intimidation will likely only breed resentment.
I spent this past weekend helping out at church, where the service was actually pretty enjoyable. Several of the church's pastors performed with their sons in a combined vocal, dance and video special that was actually pretty moving.
I then headed over to the cemetery to pay my respects to my late parents for Father's Day. I took a couple bouquets of flowers to the gravesite only to discover that nobody else had stopped by (when I went on Mother's Day, the gravesite was full of flowers and I ended up transferring some of them to an adjacent grave, that of my mom's first husband, who passed away of cancer back in 1963).
It seemed a bit sad that everyone seemed to remember my mom on Mother's Day, but -- at least at the time I went -- nobody seemed to remember my dad on Father's Day. Of course, it doesn't mean that nobody else came by after I left since I went around midafternoon, but still....
I will always remember my parents as having loved and raised me well, and for helping guide me to the path that I have now chosen to follow. And for that I am very grateful, for I've seen entires by others who aren't, or may not necessarily, be on those same relationship terms with their parents.
In closing, I'm reminded of a quote (which I'm writing from memory) from A Goofy Movie (1985), which I would actually consider a really good Father's Day-type movie because of its father-son relationship theme:
Goofy: "Maybe Max isn't everything you think a son should be, but he loves me."
Pete: "Hey, my son respects me!"
Goofy: "Yeah..."
Bottom line I get from that is that I think Goofy hit the nail on the head with his comment. I think it's more important for a son to love his father than to respect him, though often love will lead to respect. But respect born out of fear and intimidation will likely only breed resentment.
