Father And Son

Day 17

Father and Son - 1974

Today is Father’s Day (Happy Father’s Day to all fathers out there!) and with this holiday I have my inspiration for a topic--a blog entry about my own father, Jerry Case.

Father And Son - 1975

Ours is a complicated relationship, probably very similar to most fathers and sons out there, and it is complicated because we are both so very different and yet so very much alike. Years and years ago we didn’t always see eye to eye or have a strong connection. I know that we sometimes disappointed each other because neither of us fully met the criteria of what we expected of each other. I was not the son my father would have imagined and he was not the father that I would have imagined. But we needed to give each other a break--we’re only human!

Now, before I suddenly start singing “The Cat’s In The Cradle” by Harry Chapin (you know the song that goes… “when you coming home dad? I don’t know when. We’ll get together then. You know we’ll have a good time.”) I want to be perfectly clear that I consider my relationship with my dad to be better than it ever was! We aren’t the same people anymore, we aren’t as demanding or unrealistic with each other anymore, and we have found ways to be connected with each other, and as a result we have a strong, healthy, rewarding relationship! So here’s a brief list of the things we have in common, the things we enjoy together:

* My dad and I love a lot of the same TV shows. One of our favorite shows was 24, which we watched together from the first season in 2001 to this year’s final season! We didn’t miss a single episode. We also became fans of other shows like The Amazing Race, Dancing With The Stars, The Middle and American Idol. With the latter show, Dad and I would rate and discuss the performances of the contestants, criticize and poke fun at everything the judges said (that’ll be another future blog entry). It is fun watching these shows with my dad.

* My dad and I love to play a lot of the same games, especially if it is a card game. Dad taught me just about every card game and I love just about every card game. We play well together because I don’t mind that he is competitive and he doesn’t mind that I play just to have fun. It is very symbiotic! We also enjoy playing board games, with Ticket To Ride and Settlers Of Catan being two of our favorites (once again, another future blog entry!) It is fun playing these games with my dad.

* My dad and I have deep, insightful conversations about politics, religion and family members. My dad really respects my opinions and encourages me to share them. He asks for advice when dealing with people (specifically family members) and he values my thoughts and suggestions. It is gratifying to have these conversations with my dad.

Father And Son - 1998

I love you Dad! You have been a great provider, a positive role model, a spiritual giant and a kind and loving friend! Happy Father’s Day!