As Father’s Day draws near, I find my thoughts turning to memories of my father. Dad had a wonderful sense of humor. He told lively stories and he did spot-on impersonations that kept us entertained for hours.
When my family gets together, we still laugh over his old stories. Retelling those stories and laughing is a great pick-me-up in these difficult times. And it brings back great memories of past Father’s Days. In fact, a funny greeting card was one of his favorite Father’s Day gifts.
Another gift that was fun to give him was a good-quality scotch. It was pricey, but if my siblings and I pooled together, we could afford it. And he enjoyed and savored the treat. Dad also liked good clothes — and he loved a particular type of newsboy cap. One Father’s Day, we found a leather version of that cap in a local men’s wear shop. I think that may have been his favorite gift of all time.
I think that one thoughtful quality gift means so much more than a bunch of cheap items that won’t last and quickly end up in the garbage. Gifts like quality clothing can last for years — Dad got lots of use out of that leather cap. And consumable gifts like scotch — or Dad’s favorite stew that Mom made for dinner — he relished until they were completely gone.
This post was originally published on June 17, 2020.