OUR UNSUNG HEROES

Happy belated Father’s Day to you

Yes, it’s clear I’m not a dad, so I’m hardly an authority on the topic of fatherhood.

But, I have father of my own (whew!) and have come to learn a couple of home truths about what it takes to be a dad.

Clearly, it’s not an easy job and, like our mums, our dads are under constant scrutiny and rarely ever get the praise they deserve.

So, here goes.

Here are the things I think dads are great at and should be thanked (and maybe even hugged) for:

DAD JOKES

If you don’t have a dry and incomprehensible sense of humour, built almost entirely on puns, are you even a father?

Girls, if your partner starts making silly jokes that only he can laugh at, you might want to get a home pregnancy kit ready — he’s exhibiting ‘Dad Behaviour 101’. What about this gem of a joke: “My wife was really mad at me and said I had no sense of direction, so I packed my stuff and right.”

Yep, exactly what I thought. Not so much as a chuckle from you, unless you’re a dad (then you’re probably giggling out loud).

My dad’s favourite joke is probably the sad tale of the two parallel lines, because they never meet.

Sigh. I know. Moving on.

AWKWARD HUGS

Helping your child through a tough time is a ‘both parents’–type job, but dads generally get the short end of the stick here.

Perhaps it can be ascribed to the era men my dad’s age grew up in.

A time of male dominance, yes, but also the era wherein it was shameful for a man to be afflicted by emotions.

A time where a man was expected to spend the majority of his time at work, leaving things like raising children to his wife, and having his value as a man based on how many hours he worked in a week.

Perhaps because of this, ‘90s dads visually cringed away from a teary teenage daughter crying about the latest boy who broke her heart.

It was like watching a run of the mill desktop computer attempt to solve a quantum computing problem. Error 404: File not found.

The awkwardness of not knowing what to do in this situation, but desperately wanting to ease the teary–eyed child’s pain, is what makes dads great.

Because, despite being clueless, they try anyway.

All those awkward hugs, bumbling sentiments of emotional support and wordless silences got you through it all — thanks to ‘The Dad’.

CHARACTER BUILDING

Another thing dads are super at, is inspiring you to be the best version of yourself you can be.

Or, at the very least, to stop your crying and to try again.

I remember running to my father as a child, crying my eyes out.

I’d fallen and scraped my knee, which was bleeding a tiny little bit.

My dad’s response was a big smile, almost teasing, and the words: “are you dying?”.

Well, now I come to think about it, no, Dad, I’m not dying.

That’s not to say my dad (and others like him) are terrible fathers who don’t care if their kids are injured.

You should have seen his panic and the undivided attention I got when I broke my arm; it was like the world ended for him.

ADVENTURE

Much to the dismay of mums everywhere, dads are the undisputed champions of adventure.

It’s from them we learn about risk and reward and to push the boundaries of our physical abilities.

That doesn’t mean mums aren’t fun — they are, I promise — they’re just way more careful with their little bundle of joy.

After all, it wasn’t my dad who carried me for nine months, then heroically gave birth to me, so why would he know how soft my head is? I’m just kidding, he knew.

But, from the gravity–defying trips on the backyard swing (higher than the farmhouse roof), to the pre–dawn hikes (chasing sunrises) and being thrown as high in the air as my dad’s arms could manage, I learned any life worth living, is one of adventure.

MEMORY TESTS

While both mums and dads love us unconditionally, and while mums forgive us quickly, nothing forgets quite like a dad.

From not knowing where his keys are to having no clue what you’re talking about when you reference something you’d said to him only yesterday, dads are forgetful creatures.

This makes them singularly well–suited to their traditional role as disciplinarian and decision–maker.

How is he supposed to remember you’re not allowed to go out tonight?

So, if asked, he will say yes.

Father’s Day may have been last week, but that shouldn’t stop you from giving the old man another call.

He might have a great joke to tell.