What A Day To Be A Dad

Should I be happy or should I be sad. I don’t know what to think. It’s a big day in my house today in more ways then one. My oldest son is moving out of home and he is moving about 800 kilometers away. That is definitely the sad part. The happy part is that he is following my foot steps. He is going to work on a rig. Yes my son is entering the oil patch. That’s why I say its mixed emotions.

My son is 20 years old and it is time for him to move out but that doesn’t make it any easier. No one ever wants to see their children move out but as a father I would never stand in his way. I have three boys. My middle one has been gone from home for about a year now and my youngest is still at home. So now it’s just my wife, my son and myself at home. Damn the house is starting to feel empty.

The son that is leaving today is my fishing partner and i’m definitely going to miss him when i’m walking along the river banks with out him this summer. My youngest already told me he would go with me and I would love to have him come but I also know that he’s not a big fan of fishing. He is always welcome to come with me and who knows maybe he will turn out to be an avid fan of the sport.

I know today is going to be tough on my wife. Her baby is leaving the nest and that’s never easy but in our kids especially you have to remember something. The boys have grown up with their mom. I worked in the oil patch so I missed a lot but not my wife. She never missed a thing in their lives. She will have a bad day today and when I get home I just have to be understanding and comfort her.

I’m working today but at least on this gig I have been able to drive home every night. This worked out good because I was able to talk to my boy this morning. First I reminded him of the dangers of working in the oil patch. I told him about the dangers of short cuts. I told him to think before rushing into anything. I reminded him that he has a family and we know he can’t come home everyday but he should and try when he gets a chance. I also told him that work isn’t everything. I told him that he has to have some fun out there. If he gets too tied to work he won’t enjoy it. I then reminded him that most of the time I am only a phone call away.

I may not say it much but I do love my boys and they know it. When I am sad I write to feel better. I am going to end this now so I can go wipe the tear out of my eye. The tear is both a happy and a sad one but I do have a heavy heart today. I love my boy and I wish him all the safety and luck that he needs to be successful.

Love Dad