A Dad's Legacy

This morning, a couple of boys were yelling, "DAD!!!", "DAD!!!"; the boys were neighbors from down the street. No doubt their interest was to report transgressions of the other with little regard for where Dad was or what he was doing, their insistant tone and loud shouts disturbed the peace of Father's Day. The sense of urgency in their voices gave pause to regard the true meaning of Father's Day and perhaps the true legacy of "Dad" in our lives.
Can it be so simple as just having Dad within earshot to respond to the urgent shouts of children calling "Dad" to intervene on their behalf? Is the volume of their shouts an attempt to sway Dad to their pleas at the expense of another? Perhaps it's simply the fact that someone is there to answer and that past experience has shown that Dad will respond at some time whether the outcome is as expected or not. There is certainly security in knowing that there may be a sympathetic ear to hear our complaints or just knowing someone hears our pleas for help. We never really know when we're children if our complaints have merit and will elicit response that is favorable but we do know that as we shout louder and louder we will get a response. Sometimes there is little regard as to the outcome but rather simply knowing that "Dad" is there for us. It is in an odd way a recognition of the protective potential of "Dad".
There seems to be many poignant stories about dads this Father's Day 2012. It is the uncertainty of the times that makes the role of "Dad" take on qualities of a protective nature for children. It is when Dad has passed from our lives that a pang of emptiness evades our consciousness and makes us wish we could shout, "Dad!!!" when the world transgresses against us. The very act of yelling, "Dad!", like the boys down the street, in hopes that that he will finally relent and come to our rescue is quickly becoming a reality that many of us no longer enjoy or perhaps we have assumed the same role. Dad may not always be our hero but his presence becomes a simple act of heroism in our memory. When we won't allow negativism to cloud that memory there are tender moments that surface. Whether real or imagined they fill a hole in our consciousness that gives us comfort in troublesome times.When Dad is gone, we long for those fleeting memories .
Father's Day always brings testimonies of Dad's best memories and gives us a break to acknowledge the simple representation of Dad in our lives. It is at this juncture that we should recall a simple prayer,

Our Dad who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name...

Have a grateful heart full of love.  Love God, Love one another.