Why My Father Is The Greatest
I remember from my youth, the local newspaper ran a contest one Father's
Day. Children were to tell why their father was the best dad in the world.
What a ridiculous idea I thought. Of course my father was the greatest.
I never gave it a second thought.
How I wish they would run that contest again ... and open it up to children
of all ages. My father died last Saturday. One day short of Father's Day.
One day short of my last chance. I have always known he was the greatest
but it wasn't until I became a father myself that I could put it into words.
If you will, let me tell you why my father is the greatest.
I am the middle child, number 7 of a lucky 13. From everything I read
in books and newspapers, I am the lost child. The poor, forgotten soul.
And yes, it's true, sometimes I have been lost. But never in my family.
In my family, I have my place and it is very special. In this world of
uncertainty this place is my safe house. I find my strength in this place.
I find my way in this place. I can and do go home. It is a wonderful place
that I can get to by merely closing my eyes and remembering.
Each of my brothers and sisters has their own special place. Ask any
of them and they will tell you. When it comes to our parent's love and
care for us, each one feels like an only child. It is this simple capacity
for love that defines my father. It is this capacity for love that makes
my father the greatest. It is a childlike love. Unconditional. Powerful.
Beautiful.
My father's love did not stop with his children, rather it grew through
us and extended itself to his grandchildren and great grandchildren. His
love embraced the poor and the sick and gave them dignity and worth. It
embraced people of all colors and nationalities and celebrated their differences.
Through this capacity for love, I have come to know God. I have come
to understand the Body of Christ. I can understand how so many can be loved
and cared for as individuals. I can understand how many are one.
I could not explain this to you with stories, nor should I. Let each
of my brothers and sisters tell you their stories. You have to feel this
love to understand it. And yes, I feel it. And yes, I speak in present
tense when I tell you my father is the greatest. As love defines my father
so do his grandchildren's words explain my tense: "we can still feel
the love from here."
A Child Of Robert J. McMahon
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