A Father's Day to Remember

This past weekend was one of those that will serve as a memory that will stick with me for a long time. There was a “celebration of life” for my son’s maternal grandmother on Saturday night, followed by Father’s Day on Sunday. Little did I know that I would get the best Father’s Day gift on Saturday night rather than on the holiday itself.

The evening’s event was built around the joy of Paytyn’s mom’s mother, Becky Tilly Krapff, finally being free of pain and in a better place. My former brother-in-law, Ben Rogers, did an outstanding job talking about what Becky brought to those around her and how much she appreciated everyone around her. But it was what he said about Paytyn that really pushed tears to the edge of my eyes.

Ben singled Paytyn out as someone who Becky loved to have conversations with, regardless of the topic. For those who know my son, he loves to talk politics, history, geography and current events. That alone is enough to make me proud of him.

However, Ben spoke about how Paytyn was conversational with everyone, and that his engagements were always well-spoken and thoughtful. Ben recalled how Paytyn had brought up the epic of Gilgamesh and about how he had determined that his best legacy would be through how he treated people. It was a great comparison to the life that Becky had lived.

Paytyn has always been the center of my universe, and the life I have carved out has always been done with him in mind. Now, with just one year before he goes off to college, I find myself running out of time to spend with him while I still get to claim parental rights. But I continue to enjoy every minute, and Saturday night provided me a reminder of just how much I appreciate who my son has become.

Over the course of my life, I have been in several roles – son, brother, student, teacher, reporter, manager, bartender, public address announcer, public relations professional, candidate, husband. I could go on and on. But I have always maintained that my favorite role has been and will always be as a dad.

Whether it is the frequent camping trips or the vacations to various places or the family events or the engaging conversations, Paytyn has always been my favorite person to have around me. So, yeah, Father’s Day is always special to me, and this Father’s Day made me feel as proud as I could have ever imagined.