Happy Fathers Day

To all the men out there who TRULY deserve to be recognized for their outstanding job as fathers, I salute you. Yeah, hats off, because I know what a hard job parenting can be. I know how hard it is for many fathers, who do a wonderful job, to balance kids, life and work.

For my hubby, who really is an amazing man, father and partner, Happy Fathers Day.

Fathers Day is not a huge celebration for us.... neither is Mother's day really. But Fathers Day just tends to slip through the cracks. You see a few commercials here and there on tv, enticing you; daring you to choose the right gift for your husband or your dad. You go out and buy a tool for them to use in the yard, a tie for them to wear or some smelly cologne to put on and you call it a day. Really, no big deal, right?

Mother's Day gets all this hoopla, and God forbid you forget Mothers Day... you'll be eating soup and crackers for a month. You'll NEVER hear the end of it. And forget about getting mom a generic gift like perfume or a kitchen gadget. You must get her something nice, like a diamond necklace or a designer dress. Just consider Fathers Day the lesser known ugly cousin to Mothers Day... it isn't as popular a holiday, you don't really have to acknowlege it and it always comes after. Men get the short end of the stick.

I think I know why... fatherhood isn't considered as a hard a job as motherhood, although both are from the parenthood family. Most everyone knows how hard it is to be a mom....even if you aren't a mom. We tend to do most of the work. We do!!! We have to not only go through pregnancy for 9 whole months (distorting our baody AND our shape), but we also have to literally push a human being out of our most private of parts, then let this strange little person suck on our breasts, with just a second introduction and no promise of flowers afterward.

We rear the child, clean up the messes, cook the meals, change the diapers (oh the amount of shit we have to change!!!!!), potty train, dress, bathe, teach the ABC's, go to school meetings, buy all the clothes and clean the house all on less than 7 hours of sleep. Ok, that's my life. But I know it's most moms lives. Where are the fathers... oh they're there and they help, sometimes. But, the fathers who work get to leave for about 8 hours during the day, then come home just in time to tired kids who are so tired of being yelled at all day by mommy, daddy seems like the super hero who swooped in just in time to rescue them. Dad is cool (he lets the kids watch tv too late). Dad is awesome (he takes the kids out on fun trips). Dad is the best (he buys the kids super cool toys that cost way too much money).

Then too, there is daddy's downtime, which he seems to get alot of. He gets a lunch break... yeah, let me try to eat a meal, for 10 whole minutes, in peace... it's like heaven.

He gets to go out with his friends... and stay out entirely too late because mommy is home, taking care of the kids. When mommy gets to go out (IF mommy gets to go out), she has to rush back home in 2 hours because heaven forbid daddy actually tried to feed, bathe, clothe and then put the kids to bed. It's just too much for 'poor' daddy. He can't handle it... or maybe mommy is worried daddy just won't do a good enough job. Either way, mommy puts in more than her fair share.

That is why Mothers Day is a big 'to do' holiday, while Fathers Day seems like an afterthought. It's like the person who said, "lets give moms a day to themselves, God knows they deserve it", then said, "oh yeah and throw in a day too for the dads, I guess...."

Anyway, it doesn't matter how Fathers Day came about, most fathers deserve this day. They deserve recognition for a job well done; a pat on the back, if you will. I know my hubby does. So, yeah, Happy Fathers day again. You earned the right to be celebrated. Good job!