Father & Son
Was a weird couple of days...
...a wake and a funeral do that to you and I am always keenly aware of things around me on those days.
It’s just when life is the most raw, right?
On the way to the wake, the Cat Stevens song, “Father & Son” came on the radio.
It’s a song that I loved back in the 1980’s.
That was when I identified as the son who was trying to let his Dad know that he had dreams and visions and that what Dad may have wanted for the son wasn’t exactly what the son wanted for himself.
It was a touching song when I was the son.
It’s even more powerful when I listen to it as a Dad, some 30+ years later.
In fact, it kind of blew my mind!
“There’s so much that you don’t know,” is a powerful theme when you listen to it as a Dad...
...and I didn’t know any of those things as a boy turning man.
And, I’m not sure Cat Stevens thought it out quite that far. Did he realize that he was writing a song that was devastatingly powerful for a boy coming of age as well as for a Dad who’s son is coming of age.
“This is really messing me up,” I said, to my beautiful wife.
And standing in front of the casket, remembering things...
...just ordinary days when my mother-in-law was showing my boys extraordinary love.
“Thank you for loving my family,” I whispered as I walked away
Then I saw my boys all kneeling to say goodbye and I saw them as little boys again.
“Grandma is giving me a ride to my game.”
“Grandma bought us McDonalds.”
“Grandma was really mad.”
And it all hit me...
...there’s so much that you don’t know.
We were blessed.
We have always been blessed by the love of our parents.
Maybe that’s where Cat Stevens was going with all of this.
Fathers love your sons and daughters.
Sons and daughters love your Mom and Dad.
Pretty simple when you think about it...
...even if it blows your mind once in awhile.
...a wake and a funeral do that to you and I am always keenly aware of things around me on those days.
It’s just when life is the most raw, right?
On the way to the wake, the Cat Stevens song, “Father & Son” came on the radio.
It’s a song that I loved back in the 1980’s.
That was when I identified as the son who was trying to let his Dad know that he had dreams and visions and that what Dad may have wanted for the son wasn’t exactly what the son wanted for himself.
It was a touching song when I was the son.
It’s even more powerful when I listen to it as a Dad, some 30+ years later.
In fact, it kind of blew my mind!
“There’s so much that you don’t know,” is a powerful theme when you listen to it as a Dad...
...and I didn’t know any of those things as a boy turning man.
And, I’m not sure Cat Stevens thought it out quite that far. Did he realize that he was writing a song that was devastatingly powerful for a boy coming of age as well as for a Dad who’s son is coming of age.
“This is really messing me up,” I said, to my beautiful wife.
And standing in front of the casket, remembering things...
...just ordinary days when my mother-in-law was showing my boys extraordinary love.
“Thank you for loving my family,” I whispered as I walked away
Then I saw my boys all kneeling to say goodbye and I saw them as little boys again.
“Grandma is giving me a ride to my game.”
“Grandma bought us McDonalds.”
“Grandma was really mad.”
And it all hit me...
...there’s so much that you don’t know.
We were blessed.
We have always been blessed by the love of our parents.
Maybe that’s where Cat Stevens was going with all of this.
Fathers love your sons and daughters.
Sons and daughters love your Mom and Dad.
Pretty simple when you think about it...
...even if it blows your mind once in awhile.
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