Dads at Holkham Hall

Yesterday we visited Holkham Hall… nearly lost our football in the lake. There was a sign ‘Keep dogs on a lead’; there wasn’t a sign ‘Don’t kick footballs at geese’.

We had the obligatory Grandad nonsense conversation about the deer… Herd of deer? Of course I’ve heard of deer… Are they dear deer? I don’t know. Can deer be cheap? No – chickens cheep… Dear, dear, Grandad…

Grandson-Luca entertained himself very happily in the adventure playground. I enjoyed people-watching… active, happy children… good, supportive parents… smiling, appreciative grandparents… cheerful, helpful staff…

Dads were being good dads… comforting the fallen, supporting the adventurous, encouraging the timid, standing back from the independent… constantly present… aware of their needs… enjoying being with their children!

Musing on Fatherhood…

The past is past. My days of active, energetic parenthood are over. I’m not the man I was forty years ago. I ‘did parenting’ to three children. I may have regrets… I can’t change my past…

Friends have regrets… opportunities missed, mistakes made… children haven’t turned out as they had hoped… children wished for didn’t happen… events, conversations that can’t be changed… The past is past.

The present is a present. I’m not an active young dad now. I have three forty-something children who I’m still dad to. I have three grandchildren who I need to be a good granddad to. I must appreciate and embrace who I am and what I have now.

Friends have present problems… difficult parenting decisions… physical and mental restrictions… regretting what they don’t have… They do have many gifts and blessings! The present is a present.   

God is my Father. Throughout my life God’s been my loving Father, comforting me when I’ve fallen, supporting me when I’ve been adventurous, encouraging me when I’ve been timid, standing back when I’ve been independent.

My prayer for my friends is that they know their constantly present Father-God who’s aware of their needs… and who enjoys being with his children.  God is our Father.