Note: special thanks to Terry Chapman for this insightful Father's Day Reflection.

If I close my eyes and envision my father from childhood, we are climbing up a steep hill carrying two pairs of black wooden skis; his are normal length and mine much shorter. It is a cold and sunny winter day in suburban Maryland, but sparsely settled, and we are alone as we proceed up to the summit of the hill and laughingly ski back down side by side. I am warm and secure, cared for and excited–I am loved!

 There are no words spoken in this vision. What matters is the love and shared physical adventure: robust, challenging, and fun.  This vision has sustained me while traveling uphill and downhill pathways ever since 1950 when I was ten years young. And at 77, I still have and share my adventurous, physically rewarding lifestyle with everyone I meet. Who knows what new experiences will be possible tomorrow?  

Dad magically produced original adventures for my brother Ronnie and me, ranging from whistling sessions to tree climbing to bicycle riding, to camping in our backyard, to family vacations filled with life raft trips down the Shawsheen River, to building a swing set in the fragrant pine forest near our vacation home outside Boston. The swing seat hung 20 feet below a huge sweet-smelling pine tree and drew children like a magnet. My friends and I were very grateful that our father always found new ways to interest, involve, and challenge Ronnie, me and as the years past–many, many friends.

What is the nature of fathering? I believe it is a masculine essence wrapped in a loving, caring nature.  Good fathers should be full of fun, surprises, and adventurous activities. Nothing more, but certainly nothing less.  I have striven to be that fun filled father with my two sons who as mature adults, still continue our family legacy of adventure seeking, persistence, and a wondrous approach to life itself: the challenges, the successes, the heartache, and the thrill of it all!

Photo: Terry Chapman; skiing