In many hospitals here in the valley over this weekend new dads will hold their babies for the first time. They will look into the eyes of a unique little person who will give them that piercing “you’re my dad” stare. If he sticks his fist in his mouth, dad knows he has a genius for sure.   A nurse will then have the boldness to suggest that now they will be instructed in how to give their minutes old infant their first bath.

-With their heart pounding in their chest and with hands too big to pick up such a fragile treasure, they will proceed to lay the infant out like football on  their hand as big as the baby’s chest. He will  learn to sponge warm water over the rolls of fat, being instructed to get between every wrinkle. All the while vowing never to be separated from this little person who is waiting for him  to dry them off carefully. He’ll help pull on a little nightgown and place the tiny stocking cap on his baby’s head.  The new dads this weekend will have so many plans for the future. They’ll leave the hospital visualizing a million skills  to teach their new child.  They plan to spend time, hours and hours. But the problem  is,  none of them plan to spend it onlyt on the weekends.

We’ve all seen them; the weekend fathers. In the restaurant where you’re having a Sunday breakfast.  They’re with the little girls whose hair is all tangled in the back. She tells him, “You’re hurting me, Daddy” when he tries to brush it, so he lets it go. Their sons hate to have their face washed first thing in the morning, so Dad doesn’t.

Father’s Day, 2015 style.

Actually, every Friday is Father’s Day. Their divorced dads pick them up on Friday evening. They get to have their company for the entire weekend, usually every other, and they have to bring them home to Mom on Sunday by bedtime.

The fathers come to their children’s grade schools in SUVs, sedan, little sports cars or pickups.  Dads pull up to middle schools and grab the kids back packs and load them into BMWs or Hondas. ( no hugs at this age!)  They arrive at preschools in Porches or 85 Chevys.

You’ll see at the batting cages, in Discovery, at soccer practice, waiting for gymnastics class to be over. They might visit the toy store; then again, they might end up at dad’s laundromat. At lunch time, no matter what dad does for a living, a good portion will lend up at Mc Donalds, the great leveler. It’s safe to bet they’ll end up back at dad’s apartment, sooner or later, watching the ball game on television.

My granddaughter tells me she remembers learning the names of all the pro football teams and their quarterbacks by the time she was five. He daddy knew all her Barbies names and their friends. He was pretty good at color coordinating their outfits too.  HAPPY FATHERS DAY!