The Fathers Day Conundrum

Sunday, June 15 is Father’s Day, and as I sit at happy hour at Forest and Main on Friday night enjoying a Yakutsk Pale Ale without any explicit Fathers’ Day plans, I am contemplating the question that arises every Father’s Day – how am I going to spend it? It seems like a simple question to most, but there are several schools of thought. Let me explain.

A father’s initial thought may be – “It’s Father’s Day, I’m a father and I work hard at it all year, so I’m going to go do whatever I want!” This may include activities that don’t involve your children – such as golfing or sitting at your “local” for an extended period of time. If that is your conclusion, then it’s a easy decision and you don’t need to read any further.

There is a second school of thought that fathers should spend Father’s Day with those who made them fathers. I have children, and traditionally, I spend the day with them. But at the same time, my father is still living, and while I am spending time with my kids, I’m not with my dad – which raises, in the back of my mind, the specter of being a bad son and the Mike & Mechanics song “In Living Years” whispers through my brain.

But part of the reason I don’t do anything solely with my father on this holiday is because he usually spends it with his father / father-in-law (my grandfather) that day. Typically I am invited to join that celebration at my grandfather’s house, and I do (along with my children) but one could argue that technically, as it relates to me, this is a Grandparents’ Day party.

So, as I finish the last sip of the Yakutsk and leave technicalities to the weekdays, I conclude that a multi-tiered Father’s Day party, including grandfathers, fathers, children, uncles and cousins is a great solution (I mean, when isn’t a party a great solution?) – especially when it’s a sunny day and each father brings a case of their favorite craft brew to the gathering!

So Happy Fathers’ Day to all you craft drinking Fathers out there – whatever you decide to do!

Cheers!

The Brewholder