Comedian Steve Martin once said, "A father carries pictures where his money used to be." While that is humorous and true for many dads, it only hints at the complexities of fatherhood.
My daddy, Larry, was a blue-collar worker who drove a tractor-trailer around metro Atlanta for most of his life. And the trucks he drove often had no air conditioning in our hot Georgia summers. Before he drove the trucks, he spent years loading and unloading them in all types of weather. I do not ever remember my dad coming home from work and not looking sweaty, disheveled, and completely worn out. But I also do not remember ever needing anything in my life that he and my mom didn't provide.
Despite never earning the coveted "six-figure salary," friends and family always knew my dad would help them out if he could (and he almost always could). He jokingly became known as "The Bank of Larry" because he made frequent loans and was generous regardless of his income.
For my father, photos indeed replaced the money in his threadbare wallet. But his hard work ethic, his giving nature, and the fact that I knew I could count on him to be there for me no matter what are some of the greatest gifts he gave me. That kind of stability in an uncertain world was invaluable and set the best example that I strive to emulate with my own children.
"Sometimes the poorest man leaves his children the richest inheritance." -Ruth E. Renkel
Have a wonderful summer!