FATHER GENIUS

Since this is Father’s Day I thought it appropriate to offer some praise for the genius in that role. He has always felt a great responsibility in the area of parenthood and taken his part very seriously. The children I am sure thought at times that he was a little over-the-top, but the efforts he put forth were remarkable.

I can remember one incident that is funny, but does show how careful he was always to try and cover all the bases when called upon to be a good father. Jim IV was playing in a tennis tournament at Centennial Tennis Center, located in the midtown section of Nashville. He had forgotten to bring new tennis shoes and asked me to call his father and get him to bring him some when he came into town to watch the match.

So I called the genius on the phone at home. I told him that there was a big carton box of numerous pairs of shoes in the dining room that Jim IV was going to take to the pro shop to sell. I related to him what size to get out of the box and then mentioned that his match had already been called and he was warming up on the court.

“IN HIS SOCK FEET?!?" the genius blurted out. I assured him that Jim IV had on some old tennis shoes but wanted the new ones. He replied that he would be right down.

The match was held on a court farthest away from the entrance and the rest of the family were sitting beside it watching when we looked up and saw the genius way down the walk coming toward us. He was staggering under the load of the big carton box containing about a dozen pairs of shoes, each pair in their smaller boxes. He wanted to make sure that he had the right size so he just brought all of them. The rest of us could hardly watch the match we were laughing so hard.

And it was funny, but in reflecting back over the years, I realize that the genius did indeed do an excellent job of everything relating to parenting. He was careful, sometimes to an extreme, but always with the best of intentions as his motive.

I will always be grateful that he has been the father of our children. And may I say to you younger parents out there that parenting doesn’t change just because the children leave the nest. We still rejoice when there are victories and suffer when there are disappointments. Just as much, if not more so, as we ever did.