Father’s Day is a special day and it comes at a festive time in my house. Falling on the third Sunday of June, before the Summer Solstice, which occurs June 21, it’s between my son Coltrane’s birthday, also June 21, and my eldest son Kahlil’s birthday, June 19, which also the same day as Juneteeth. Ready for this? My third son, Thelonious’ birthday comes just a few weeks later on July 13 and my birthday follows that on July 16. Smartly, my wife has made the executive decision to combine all of these dates into one. A few years ago she made a proclamation that we would celebrate all the birthdays, the Solstice, and Father’s Day, on one day, and that day would be the Fourth of July. One cookout to celebrate us all, one cookout to feed us all, one time to clean up. I say all that to say, I haven’t traditionally celebrated Father’s Day in a long time. 

I remember one Father’s Day/Khalil’s birthday when we went to Medieval Times, which was still fairly new in the DMV at the time, and we had a blast! The knights, the jousting, the crowd noise, it was awesome. I remember another time when my wife and sons got me Red Dead Redemption, but due to life getting in the way, I never really did play that game. I have few games like that, movies and CDs as well. Yes, I still have some unopened CDs, but I no longer have a CD player, so they’ll remain unopened until I get one, again, I think.

There’s a lot of things that I used to do, in the way of relaxation, that I’m not able to do anymore. That’s what being a parent becomes, you live your life guiding someone else’s, and if they’re happy, you’re most likely content. I am, but now I’m thinking that I need a CD player so there’s that. 

That said, the best gift I have ever received on Father’s Day is the gift of time itself, almost a day off, if you will. My wife and I decided to start doing that sometime ago and it’s been working ever since. Pick a day, it doesn’t have to Mother’s Day, or Father’s Day, or one of our birthdays. But pick a day, and take that day to go out, or stay in, and enjoy yourself unbothered. For me I usually stay in and veg out. I’ll binge a series, play video games, watch gangster movies, drink whiskey, look at CD players, whatever. This year I’ve been saving Gangs of London and Ghosts of Tsushima for my ‘Father’s Day’. Those days off really do help me appreciate the days on. It’s good to able to take time in the present, to enjoy the present.

Time is the best gifts that I have ever received. Time is one of the things that I never have enough of, but always seem to be given more of. I fortunate to be able to spend time with my family, and grateful that I like spending time with my family; if their reading this I would love it if we could all spend some time together, in the near future, listening to CD’s. (Hint-Hint)

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