Holidays come and go, especially the "minor" holidays.
We all know the hustle and bustle of Christmas and New Year's Eve, or the marketing frenzy for Halloween or Fourth of July, but what about poor old dad? Father's Day is often swallowed up in graduation parties or summer plans, and easily overlooked.
But let's face it, good or bad, our fathers have one of the most profound effects on who we are.
Fathers have a big job.
No matter what they do, there are always other fathers who seem to do it better.
Fathers don't tend to compare themselves to one another, but they do compete with one another.
There is a subtle difference.
Comparisons would allow fathers to acknowledge what they are doing well and strive for success in other skills, but competitions imply all or nothing.
You either win or lose.
Fathers tend to see their roles as a contest in which they are always behind a faceless leader.
Sometimes, under this pressure, fathers distance themselves from their children in order to allow their kids to find a better leader, or to follow that "better" father.
Stated this simplistically, we can all see how silly this logic seems, but in reality, this technique is practiced all the time by fathers everywhere.
If you were at a track event, watching a race, you would see that each runner is chasing after that person in front of them whose face they cannot see, and only the chase is before them.
Or, if they happen to be the frontrunner, then they are chasing a faceless, elusive time - trying to either win or lose against that better mark or better person.
Try as they might, perfection eludes them, but rather than take enjoyment in the race, they feel defeated.
The solution to this lies in the crowds at that same competition.
If you are seeking to encourage the runner, you would be cheering, supporting, getting out of your normal habit, even, in order to build up your favorite runner and spur him on.
So I ask the question, what are you doing to encourage the fathers in your life? The tasks before any father are great.
The world will tell them someone else is better.
But, with the support and cheering of those around them, not the focus on a missed step or an untied shoe, the runner can achieve great things, and even on occasion, beat that clock! So if you are seeking an incredible father, whether for yourself, your children, or your spouse, be the incredible crowd behind him!