For the next 7 years, my father was in and out of my life. He sometimes showed up at school and with a hundred dollar bill. Then I might not see him again for several months. I moved in with him when I was 17. This lasted a few months before I moved in with my grandmother and later my mom. Dad and I tried to have a relationship the last few years of his life, but by then it was too late. The damage had already been done. It was if we didn't even know each other. I can't go back and change all the things I wish my dad had done for me or with me. But I can be the best father I can for my own son.
So Son, I promise you
I will teach you how to fish, fight, swim, and hunt
I will teach you how to shave with a safety razor
I will then teach you the merits of growing a beard
I will support whatever dream you have as long as its not illegal or immoral
I will show you how to change oil, change a tire, and change transmission fluid
If you show interest in learning an instrument I know, I will teach you. If its not an instrument I know, I will get a tutor
I will show you how to operate power tools
I will show you the value of a perfectly timed fart
I will always kiss you on the first day of school, even when you're 26 and starting your PhD
I, not the school, will teach you about the birds and the bees,
I will not embarrass you in front of your girlfriends
When your heart gets broken, I will cry along with you
I will probably also cry when you get married
I will teach you how to be strong
I will give you the skills necessary to have strong boundaries
I will keep communication open so I will know your personality and interests
I will do my best to attend all your extra-curricular activities
I will be there if you need to talk
I will teach you about God and the Bible
I will teach you how to be a man