My father died 20 years ago and, by design, I never had kids, so you would think that Father’s Day would be irrelevant to me. But it’s not. In fact, Father’s Day is now the most rewarding holiday on my calendar.
Even before midnight on this Father’s Day, I received more Father’s Day good wishes than I ever could have imagined.
Many of these wishes were not phoned in to the show, but written to me privately and in hushed, reverent tones.
I’ve been thanked for things that I didn’t even know that I’d done. Lives that I’ve apparently improved or even saved. Unwanted children that were prevented from being born. Graduations I didn’t know about or attend, but in which I, apparently, played a role.
You don’t have to have kids to be someone’s dad. Amazingly, you apparently don’t even have to meet someone to have an influence.
I am as proud of every one of you as I could ever be if you were my own. And in many ways, you are my own. There’s nothing more rewarding than when I get those graduation photos from my sons who said they would have never finished school if I hadn’t pushed them. When they write “LEYKIS 101″ on their graduation caps and send me the photos, I’m not ashamed to say that this makes me as about as emotional as I ever get.
I am thrilled to know about the people for whom I’ve made a father-like difference. And I want to thank you for being at the other end of that microphone. I wanted you to know that it means the world to me.
FInally, I wanted to remind you that if you have a dad, and all you know about him is that your mom says he’s an asshole, a deadbeat, or a jerk, don’t take her word for it. For your own satisfaction, be sure to seek out your dad for this Father’s Day wherever in the world he may be and make that decision for yourself. Even if your dad turns out to be an asshole or a jerk, the fact that your mother wanted to make babies with that asshole will tell you what you need to do to change your life forever. Perhaps if YOU were more of an asshole like your dad, you could get chicks like your mom. I’m not kidding. For many men today growing up under single mother domination, this really is the missing link in their lives.
Thanks for everything.