Catch

This last weekend I agonized over the Father's Day thing.

There are many ways that John is not a good father to the girls. But they love him, and they don't realize what he doesn't do for them.

They know that he shows up once or twice a week. Takes them to get some groceries on Sunday mornings, buys them a DVD or something and rides off into the sunset - having done his duty.

What do you get a part-time father?

Need I mention that he didn't get me anything for Mother's day or my birthday? No? Okay, I won't mention it.

I don't ever get him anything personally, but I have always been the proxy purchaser of gifts from the girls.

I really, really didn't want to get him anything - but I tried to put my personal feelings about him aside (again) and do the right thing as far as they were concerned.

And I came up with the perfect solution!

I bought them baseball gloves and balls because they both realized lately that they don't really know how to catch or hit. And I am not in a good position to teach them since one of my least favorite AND least skilled sports is baseball.

I had them autograph the baseballs. Maya's said, "I love you Dad, Maya" and Sophie - being a bit more verbose wrote, "Teach me how to play baseball Dad. Love, Sophie".

And they spent all day with their Dad on Sunday. He took them to get groceries and then actually took them to a park and played catch with them for hours.

The gift ended up benefiting the right people. And inspired him to, for a day, be a real father.