Blog 3149 – 06.14.2024

The Love Of A Father For His Son

I wrote a book a few years after my beloved daughter Emily passed almost twelve years ago called Emily – The Little Girl Who Sang Her Song To Anyone Who Came Along. I have mentioned in my blogs and speaking to friends often of the special love between a father and daughter and between a mother and son.

Today I would like to write about the also special love of a father for his son. My son, Jay, was born April 3rd, 1990. As a nineteen year old serving in the U.S. Army in South Vietnam I wanted more than anything else to make it home so that one day I could have a son. I had to wait twenty years, but he was worth the wait.

I had taken Junior R.O.T.C. (Reserve Officer Training Corp) in High School and was proud that Jay said he wanted to as well when he started high school. Jay joined the Waltrip High Rifle team and soon became quite a marksman. My high school rifle team had fired twenty-two rifles. Jay’s team competed with rifles that fired pellets. When the school at the insistence of other parents dropped the Rifle Team from their Junior R.O.T.C. program Jay opted out and instead took athletics in its place. He signed up to play football for the school spending two years on Junior Varsity and his senior year playing Senior Varsity football.

I was so proud that I hurried home from work so that I could head to the football practice field and watch him practice every day. Jay said it was okay as long as I did not speak to him or cause a scene. I attended all his home games and most of his away games.

Since my Junior R.O.T.C. experience lead to my joining the Army right after high school I was happy that Jay traded R.O.T.C. for football and chose college over the military. I honor all who serve and am proud that my dad and I both did. But that was a particular family tradition that I was happy to see interrupted. Next April Jay turns thirty-five.

I love my son and hope to be around to see him alive and well at forty-five. My dad lived to see me reach forty-five but not fifty-five. I got a much later start than dad did but since Jay will turn fifty-five the year that I turn ninety-five I think I’ll stick around. I should be getting close to ten thousand blogs by then.

Your friend, fellow traveler, and loving dad, who is in it for the long haul,

David White