Unconditional

I was thinking the other day about how awesome my son is. He has been an absolute joy for the past three or four months. Prior to that, he was fussy, needy, difficult…and yet still, an absolute joy. It may be a little premature to judge my little fifteen pound work-in-progress but I think I can say with confidence that he will be an absolute joy forever. I think I’ve already come to the conclusion that even if my son turns out the be a little monster that strikes fear in the heart of Sunday School teachers everywhere, I will still love him. It’s hard to believe that in such a short amount of time you can decide that your love is going to be unconditional.

But then again, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised because that’s what I’ve received from my dad for 29 years. It never mattered how poorly I behaved or how frequently I disappointed. It made no difference how many times I deserved a spanking or provoked a fight. My dad loved me unconditionally. It wasn’t based on my report card or my batting average. It wasn’t a reflection of my talents or my interests. I now understand that my dad loved me because somewhere along the line, he decided to love me regardless of who I became.

Someday my son will be too big to tickle torture and the wrestling match will end in his bragging rights (unless I cheat). There will come a time when the hugs and the kisses will stop and snuggle time will be no more. Inevitably, the “I loves you” will become something he thinks rather than something he says. As a dad, all of this will be a okay as long as he can go anywhere, do anything, become anyone, and still know that I love him. That’s what my dad gave me and that’s the kind of multi-generational wealth that I hope to pass along to my kids.

Thanks for the legacy dad! I love you and hope you had a great Father’s Day!