Call me...

Call me, and I'll come and get you" ... I must have heard my dad say these words at least a hundred times. As a young boy I always wanted to go to camps. At least I did until it was time to leave for camp, then I became a little anxious and began talking myself out of going. Dad would put his big hand on my shoulder and pull me up close to him and say " son you go on and have a good time, and if you feel like you need me or if you want to come home just call me and I'll come and get you". Sometimes I would make it through the entire camp, sometimes I wouldn't. When I couldn't, I'd give Dad a call and pretty soon I'd see his old car coming down the road to take me home, I could depend on him. Dad never made me feel ashamed that I called, he just seemed glad to see me.

Years went by and soon I faced the possibility of being drafted. I really didn't want to go to Vietnam. I remember thinking, for a split second ... what the heck, I'll go if I have to and if I don't like it, I'll call dad. He'll come and get me. Now, I realize there are a couple of ways to look at this. One could say, he should have made me stay, tough it out, and grow up.

My belief, kids grow up soon enough. What they really need is to know that, even when they are away, someone is thinking about them. Kids need to know that they are so important to somebody and that that somebody will drop what they are doing to come and get them, in an instant. That's the legacy my dad left me and that's the legacy I will leave my children and grandchildren.