My dad turned 80 in February. That’s eight decades, four scores, or nearly a century.
Whichever way you dice it up, that’s a long time to be alive. Thankfully, my dad is quite well and still doing what he does best: sharing inappropriate jokes and driving everyone a little crazy. But in the best way possible, most of the time.
He’s imparted some sage wisdom to my brother and me over the years, and for that, I’m grateful. He’s never met a stranger, and honestly, I think I get that from him. A typical Father’s Day with my dad includes steak on the grill on my parent’s patio in Germantown, with a golf tournament on the TV in the background. I cherish these times.
Another great dad in my life was my late father-in-law, Gerald. I wrote about him here when he passed away a few years back. He was a stoic and insightful man. A man of few words, but when he spoke, people listened. He was a father of four, with my wife being the youngest child, and only daughter. He actually stayed home with Annie, and her brother, Dan, when they were little. There’s a gap in years between the first two, and final two.
Gerald’s love language was acts of kindness. He would fix something or take care of something that was a buzzing fly. Sometimes you wouldn’t even notice at first. A class act, in my opinion. A typical Father’s Day with Gerald usually included generations of children, a potluck, and just catching up with each other.
As a dad myself, Father’s Day has become one of my favorite days of the year. It’s a day all about being a girl dad and all of the fun we have together. They have made me a better person and I hope that I can impart some knowledge and know-how to them along the way. I look forward to Ella and Bea making me breakfast in bed and handmade cards. It’s a good time on so many levels.
To all the dads out there, I think it’s about showing up. Going to their recitals, games, and dances. This year was the first time Ella and I participated in a Daddy-Daughter dance, and I have to say it’s been a highlight of 2024, so far. I felt honored to take her out, meet her friends, and dance the night away. She even made me participate in the air guitar contest. I nailed it. I look back fondly on my dad taking me to all of those soccer tournaments way back when.
I’ll leave you with this…if you aren’t dropping bad dad jokes and puns, YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG!
Here’s a few to add to your repertoire:
- Did you hear about the circus fire? It was in tents!
- How do you catch a squirrel? Climb a tree and act like a nut!
- Did you hear about the guy who invented Lifesavers? They say he made a mint!
- I told my wife she should embrace her mistakes. She gave me a hug.
- Why don’t eggs tell jokes? They might crack up!
- What did the big flower say to the little flower? “Hi, bud!”
- I used to have a job at a calendar factory, but I got fired because I took a couple of days off.
Jeff Hulett is a freelance writer, musician, and PR consultant in Memphis. He lives in the Vollintine Evergreen neighborhood with his wife Annie, two girls Ella and Beatrice, and dog Chalupa.