June 21: When I was growing up, Father’s Day was always a bit difficult. My Dad was an Accountant and a passionate golfer – that much was obvious. But he kept his passions, if there were any, pretty much to himself. Trying to find “the right thing” for him on Father’s Day proved problematic. I remember a bunch of awkward cards and repetitive gifts. There are only so many times you can buy golf balls. And I’m sure my daughter Marisa would say the same about me.
But this year was different. In addition to it being Father’s Day, and the longest day of the year, Marisa and Joel chose today to get married.
Several times during the day I found myself staring and admiring her; a beautiful woman, so fully comfortable in the moment and just being herself. And it struck me, forcefully, that she is no longer my child. She will always be my daughter, but she is now setting out on a new life with Joel, and she will soon have children of her own. We have turned a page and our relationship will never be quite the same again. And that will be hard to top on Father’s Day next year.