Dad, If You Can Hear Me, Please Yell

I walked the fields and woodlands my entire life because it made me feel good.

I stopped hunting and fishing 15 years ago because I no longer wanted to inflict pain and death upon the wildlife any longer. The only shooting that I do now involves a camera.

The only way any of those creatures deserved to die by my hand was if I was starving.

I don't have anything left to prove to myself or my neighbors any longer concerning my manliness. I finally know who I am.

God only knows that it took long enough.

I realized after all these years that I hunted and fished because I had been trying to connect with my Dad. Somehow I had assumed that if I hunted and fished, rode dirt bikes, drank beer, and worked hard, eventually I would gain his respect and attention. What I didn't understand was that was his requirements for everyone else but me. I don't know what he expected from me and I'll never know. What I do know for certain was that it wasn't in the cards for me to have a Dad.

If I could have only figured that out earlier, it would have saved me so much grief.

We all have to live and learn, don't we?

Well, I thought since I couldn't have an earthly dad then maybe I could have a heavenly father.

So I spent almost 10 years immersed in theological studies trying to get to know who God was.

While I learned quite a bit about spiritual principles I still have yet to be hugged and told that I am glad to be your father.

Was there really something inside of me so bad that I had to be totally rejected before I could learn to be a decent dad to my son?

I tell my son that I love him all the time and I found that it really ain't that difficult.

Fathers, do yourself a favor today and tell your son that you love him.