Hopefully we all came through Mother’s Day unscathed and not messing it up too bad but this month is different. This month is Father’s Day and we are full swing into summer. One of the great honors I have is to be part of fathers and their kids spending quality time together, starting a new tradition or continuing a valued one while on my skiff. A cursory view of the perception of fathers through the eyes of television shows is not a positive one with some examples such as Homer Simpson and Al Bundy coming to mind as well as real life examples of the many who have fathered children only to disappear and never to be seen again.
You, however, are not of this kind. What I witness on my boat and in conversation is starkly different from what is highlighted to us as a stereotypical father. You are the kind who has not shied away from fatherly responsibilities but rather have embraced it in the tender care and love you show your children when they hook a fish or make a good cast. You are the father that encourages your children when they hook a big fish and struggle to land it and you are wise knowing the right moment to assist your child in fighting the fish not taking the rod too soon in order to allow them a sense of accomplishment. I have witnessed you lovingly care for your children ensuring they wear sunblock, having them drink water often and wear proper clothing and sunglasses.
As kids have gotten older I have heard your children express their love and appreciation for you and all you have done for them. They have missed you when you were too frail or too far away to join them and have gloated about how great you have always been to them and with them. Your kids have silently demonstrated their love for you as they joke with you when you lose a fish, recount childhood stories of past fishing adventures and brag to me about how you always made time for them. These moments that I witness and are shared with me are precious because it demonstrates to me the fruit of a fathers years of hard but loving labor.
When you’re not on board, your kids behave in a way that would make you proud and without knowing you, I see how you raised them in how they treat their own kids. You should be proud of your kids because when they’re on my skiff I see your hard work payoff. They have turned out to be great fathers just like you and serve as an example and encouragement as I raise my own 10 year old little girl.
Fathers, you’ve done a great job so Happy Father’s Day!
Capt. Mo Estevez
786-853-1409
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