Enjoying the Father Dance as long as I can

Father’s Day. Lots of thoughts and emotions. I am a father of three. I am blessed to have a father that I am close with. We live nearby and we hang out often. It makes me appreciate my own boys. Not a day passes that I don’t say a prayer of thanks for being a father. One of my boys insists on hugging me all the time. (He just came into my room and hugged me while I was writing this column.) Another one likes to tag along when I go places and watches war movies with me. And the other shares most all his secrets with me and confides in me more than I could ever have expected. Recently I listened to a song on the radio that reminded me of how deep the bond is between father and child. “Cinderella” is a beautiful melody written and sung by Christian recording artist Steven Curtis Chapman to honor his relationship with his daughters. My heart was heavy as I listened and recalled Chapman’s recent pain. You may remember that Chapman experienced one of the deepest hurts a father could imagine when his young adopted daughter was killed in a tragic car accident in his driveway in May of 2008. It took awhile before he was able to perform the song again, but he sings it regularly at his concerts nowadays in honor of his daughter. Chapman and his family appeared on Larry King Live a few months after the accident and I was absolutely amazed at their faith. They have used Maria Sue’s death as an opportunity to witness for the God they still love and trust completely despite their intense pain. By sharing their faith that night, Steven Curtis Chapman and his family preached a thousand sermons in one interview. Steven reminded viewers several times to appreciate every day with their children. Hug them every chance you get. Dance with your little Cinderella all you can before the clock strikes midnight, while realizing we don’t have watches to know when midnight will arrive. I don’t have Cinderellas in my house. Mine are all boys. Instead of dresses we have dirty ball uniforms. Instead of crowns we have soiled caps. Instead of glittery shoes we wear huntin’ boots. Yet we dance. We dance when we toss ball out in the yard. We dance when we wrestle on the living room floor. We dance when we shoot baskets out on the driveway. We dance when go hunting together and huddle close in a tree-stand when it’s too cold to feel your fingers and toes. We dance when we sing songs off key while listening to the radio in my truck. We dance when we sneak out and enjoy livermush, eggs, and pancakes for breakfast at the local restaurant. Every day I am allowed to dance as a father is a gift I never take for granted. Hearing Steven Curtis Chapman’s “Cinderella” song reminded me of this even more. Despite its many challenges, fatherhood is a privilege, not a burden. A labor of love, not a chore. Ironically, at this very moment, my column writing has been interrupted yet again by two boys who have challenged me to a basketball game in our driveway. And so now I will head outside. . . to dance.