Father’s Day has an entirely new meaning and I hope that I can do this justice in what I’m trying to say.

Growing up as a kid, I always remember celebrating Father’s Day late, because my father was in the Army and wasn’t always home.  I understood as best as I could as a kid why he wasn’t there, but it always bothered me.

Last year, I had a work trip and had to be leave on Father’s Day before dinner. I got to spend the day with my boys and with my wife’s family, but most importantly, my boys.

This year, my wife had to work all weekend and I was with the boys all weekend. On Saturday, we went to the playground twice, ran errands, etc. But we were together.  I took them to lunch at the restaurant behind the house, we talked and laughed the entire time. We went to Target and they each got a toy for behaving so well for the week. I took them back to the playground for more running and they asked for Ice Cream and who doesn’t love Ice Cream? So we stopped at the grocery store and grabbed a pint of Ice Cream and cones, a steak for me and we were back home.

On Father’s Day, my wife was at home for maybe an hour after I got up and then she was off to work. The boys asked me to cook breakfast, especially bacon. So, I did just that. I do like I always do, I put on a movie and I started cooking sausage, bacon, eggs, and home fries. A little over the top with breakfast? Maybe, but it was good.  And then we went to my father in laws house for a cookout.

Was I disappointed that my Father’s Day was not one of grilling and/or smoking something outside? Missing out on watching the US Open? Sleeping in?

YES! Yes I was and honestly to a point, I still am. And maybe I have some unresolved issues with the importance of Father’s Day and always doing things for my Dad and he wasn’t there for Father’s Day?

But I have realized something, two days later. I got the best Father’s Day present while cooking. Baby A walked over to me, reached up and asked to hug me and as I bent down, he kissed me on the cheek and told me he loved me. A present that will last a lifetime and that will mean more than anything else. And after seeing what Baby A did, Baby B walked over and said “Kiss” and I leaned down and he gave me a kiss.

There is a part of me that feels cheated, but there is an even bigger part of me that is just so damn proud of those boys. I didn’t get any gifts. I didn’t get to sleep in. I didn’t get to watch golf. Instead, I got to be a Dad. I got to do something that my father rarely did, celebrate Father’s Day with my boys.