Oh, it’s that time of year. The jorts are coming out of the closet, burgers and dogs are on the menu two to three times a week, and the bad jokes are cutting through the air like a knife through a medium-rare steak. Oh yes, it’s just about time for Father’s Day.
May was all about mom, and June, as with Saturdays, are for the boys, and must be treated as such. Statistics have shown, that likely it was Dad who put you on your first bike, bought you your first baseball glove, and forbade you from dating until you were thirty-five. If left to his own devices, Dad would probably be content spending his days watching tapes of old Eagles games and fishing out on the Delaware, but then you came along, didn’t you?
Dad could just as easily be known by a number of titles, accrued over a fatherhood engaged in an endless supply of tasks: chauffeur, shoe-tier, late-night algebra tutor, medicine-giver, bear-hugger, from-the-sideline-assistant coach, relationship advisor, and, of course, full-time grillmaster, and that’s only scratching the surface. A Father’s work is never done, so this Sunday, let’s try and find a way to honor some of the most important men in our lives.
Ask Dad What He Wants – Dad’s always been harder to shop for, right? He tends to be a man of simple tastes and simple pleasures, but you don’t want to get him something that he’ll never use. Humble man as he is, maybe he’ll even tell you that he doesn’t want anything for Father’s Day. But, if he does happen to slip and mention one little thing, “Aw shucks, I’m all out of this cologne I really like.”, “Gosh darnit, I knew I should’ve bought the extended warranty on the electric shaver!” that’s your ticket. The latter could fit plenty of other things because as we all know, dad wouldn’t pay for the extended warranty if he had a gun to head.
Get That Man to a Grill – If the man wants to grill, let him grill. If there’s one thing Dad loves eating more than barbecued meats, it’s cooking them. We are foodies at heart, so when it comes to supplying grillmaster-in-chief, get him the good stuff to really put him to the test. For extra ensured quality, head to one of our fabulous butcher shops dotted across South Jersey. Prepackaged burgers are fine and all but for dad on his big day there are better options at your disposal. Spring for the fresh ground beef with an 80/20 lean to fat ratio. Pick up a few steaks, maybe even a tenderloin, grab some chicken – whatever dad loves and loves making for the family, get him that.
Do What He Wants to Do – If you have even the most casual familiarity with a fishing rod, take dad fishing if that’s what he likes to do. Take him to go see that movie he’s mentioned to your mom or one of you. Maybe play it 1950’s style and just go for a drive down some back roads with the family and find some old landmarks that you’ve visited over the years; that old playground dad used to chase you and your siblings up and down or that place you used to stop at for ice cream after soccer games.
Son or daughter, dad means the world to us. He’s been our rock since day one and it’s almost a pity that we only have one day a year that’s explicitly dedicated to him. So with the one day we celebrate as a nation, let’s take it to celebrate the person he is and the person he’s helped you to be.
