There’s an old saying: “Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be a dad.”

I never thought much about being a father, or much about whether my own father was a father or a dad, until I was an adult. Once you’re an adult, you have the wisdom to see your father for what he is and was, and what he does and has done for you and your family, over the years.

reflections on my father

In many ways, my father was the classic baby-boom father: tough, family-focused, hard-working, intolerant of laziness. Though he has softened over the years, to say he could be a hard man is a bit of an understatement. He has his own mind on things, and arguing with him is an exercise in futility. In most cases, in his eyes, he’s right. That’s it, end of story.

I used to joke that there was only one thing I was afraid of: my father. . . .

→ Read More: Reflections on Father’s Day