The Most Awesome Dad

I'm self deprecating about most things.  When it comes to my career, I'm the first to say that the biggest part of my success was luck -- and, I guess, the ability to network well.  As to my appearance, I get a certain amount of gratification freely admitting I'm 50 lbs overweight, much to D1's disdain.  About my almost fully gray hair, I joke that I still have fully brown hair, but ask my hair cutter to dye my hair gray to make me look more distinguished.

But when it comes to one of my life's roles, I never downplay things: who I am as a father.  The truth is I gave my Ds and continue to give them my all --support, advice, availability (everyone knows I ALWAYS drop what I'm doing to answer a call from my Ds), and, most of all, love.  And I've been incredibly blessed by the product of this, my true life's work: two amazing young women.  I put in my all, and have seen the results.  I know things could have turned out differently, but I enjoy reaping the benefits from what I have sown.  I always say I'm the world's best Dad.

Wait.  Not so fast.  I need to admit I may be #2.

Yesterday we were visited by a dear friend and his boy .  The young man has two kids -- a three year old boy, with special needs, and a one and a half year old girl, whose personality and charm reminds Wifey and I a LOT of D1 when she was a baby.

Details aren't necessary, but after spending some time with the young man, and talking to him about his life with his two kids, I realize I have to abdicate the throne.  He has a never ending job, especially with his three year old, and he excels -- with support, wisdom, patience, and most of all, never ending love.

I've always been a fan of the young man's .  I watched him grow -- always having it, as the folks in the 'hood say, all going on. He was a top student, and movie star handsome, and athletic -- I enjoyed watching a game or two when he was the little white point guard on an otherwise all black and tall team at high school.

He excelled at a prestigious college and then Law Review at an even more prestigious law school.  He was hired by a top firm, clerked for a federal judge, and then realized he no more wanted to be a lawyer than he wanted to submit to endless root canal procedures.  I admired the courage it took to leave a profession he had trained to long and hard to enter.

And then he soared in business -- with his amazing wife and her family.  All during this time I admired him, and loved his close friends, and what he meant to them, and how he was as a son, and grandson, and brother.

Well, his boy was born over three years ago, and he took on a new role -- Dad.  His challenges have been huge, and he didn't just meet them, he took them on using all of his powers of intelligence, business savvy, and, again, love.

Watching him yesterday, Wifey and I were just blown away.  Again -- no details are necessary -- he is just, well, something else.

We hope to see more of him and the kids -- I think that'll happen.  If I had a crown, I'd happily hand it over.  I set the bar very, very high (just ask the Ds) and the young  man has jumped over it.

This gives me such a warm, and admiring, feeling.

Clint Eastwood said a man's gotta know his limitations.  I'd add to that he's gotta know, even if he's great at something, that another man might be better.

And so it is...Godspeed to the new, in my estimation, king...