The creation of fathers

Best sort of pun for our family! (last name pride.)

Here we take a short intermission from posts about vacations and give thanks for fathers, who are better than vacations, better than cozy rainy days, and better than all the world can give.  (the following is taken from Mikey's Funnies on June 17.)



When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame.  A nearby female angel said, "What kind of father is that?  If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high?  He won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping."  And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child-size, who would children have to look up to?"

And when God made a father's hands, they were large and sinewy.  And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do you know what you're doing?  Large hands are clumsy.  They can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails, or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats."  And God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day...yet small enough to cup a child's face in his hands."

And then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders.  The angel nearly had a heart attack.  "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right," she clucked.  "Do you realize you just made a father without a lap?  How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?"  God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap.  A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle, and hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus."

God was in the middle of creating 2 of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer.  "That's not fair.  Do you honestly think those large boots are going to get out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries?  Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least 3 of the guests?"  God smiled and said, "They'll work.  You'll see.  They'll support a small child who wants to ride a horse to Banbury Cross, or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that are a challenge to fill."

God worked throughout the night, giving the Father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant.  Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears.  Then He turned to the angel and said, "Now are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?"  The angel shuteth up.

Not everyone is given a positive role model in a father.  I can hardly imagine that kind of pain and emptiness within a family.  I am so thankful that God spared me from living that life.  Today I say, once again, happy father's day to a dad who made me feel blessed and loved.  
I'm thankful for my own dad and the times he used his large hands to show me how to work hard, taught me how to ride a bike confidently, carried me to bed when I was too tired, and created a solid model for me to follow.  But most of all, I'm thankful for the times we cried and walked through life's fire together.