The Greatest Father's Day Gift
The original title for this blog was going to be "Making the Case for Fatherhood." However, on Tuesday, June 13th, 2023, our large workshop burned to the ground. For those keeping track, this was the Tuesday before Father's Day. The flames were so hot that it melted a table saw and all the metal shelves. When it started, I was at work. As experienced fathers know, these things always seem to happen when you are at work (even though I am blessed to be able to work from home 50% of the time). My wife called me in a panic, telling me the shop was on fire and she could hear explosions inside. Not the kind of phone call you want to receive. I asked if everyone was out of the house and shop (including our dogs) and if she had called 911 already. My wife had that covered before she called me. She is tough, brave, and beautiful that way.
By the time I arrived, the police had all the access roads to our house blocked. It is a very surreal experience driving to your house, seeing black smoke in the distance, knowing it is your home that could be burning. The police checked my ID and led me through. They were kind and professional.
And there, my wife and kids stood in the front yard, all accounted for. What can I say? No words can tell the relief, joy, and gratefulness felt in a moment like that. It is so overwhelming, a hard numbness set in. It is hard to think, walk, or even talk. The effort to push through this numbness is exhausting. No doubt, there is some psychological term for this. Forgive me for not finding it as I am writing this the day after the event, so the exhaustion is still fresh.
Because of the bravery and professionalism of the fire department, they saved our house. This was no small task as the shop was over 3,000 square feet with fuel, welding supplies, vehicle oil, and gas. There were also adjacent structures (a mistake that will not be repeated), making access hard and the ability of the fire to spread easier. This was a technical firefight that could have gone wrong to the degree of spreading through our neighborhood. The stakes were very high but no match for the tenacity and teamwork of our local firefighters.
This is a hard loss. We had tools from our grandpa's lost forever. Not to mention the hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages. It is clearly better to count the loss of things than people, pets, or homes. There is so much to be grateful for. But there's still more.
After the fire was under control and things had calmed down some, I learned of the brave and mature actions of my children. My oldest daughter spotted smoke in the shop and immediately ran and told her mother. My second oldest daughter turned off the electric breaker that ran to the shop. My 10-year-old son grabbed his bug out bag, and his twin sister helped get our two dogs. They all met in the front yard as instructed. They also, as a group, went and thanked every firefighter on the property. As you can imagine, I am very proud.
They were very afraid and still did the right thing. I can think of no other greater gift they could have given me. They kept each other and their mother safe by doing the right thing in a fearful and dangerous circumstance. The time I spend thinking about how important fatherhood is for children has led me to forget this simple truth: I am blessed beyond measure to be their father. This is a gift all fathers share in, the blessing our children give — Fatherhood.
Happy Father's Day to you and yours. Save a Dad, save the world.