Dad's Are So Much More Than A Paycheck

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Growing up in the home that I did, my Dad was always out the door to work in the morning well before the rest of the house was awake. We never saw him on school mornings. He was not a part of the morning routine. We usually made ourselves some cereal or toast and got ourselves out to school with a little supervision from mom. I was in elementary school in a time when we walked ourselves to school and everyone went home for lunch. Mom let us fix for ourselves what we wished to eat in the limited time we had to eat lunch and get back to school (12:30-1:20).

This was the very late 70's or the very early early 80's. Most of you will remember that these were some very tough economic times. The economy was in the tank, unemployment was high and American hostages were being held in Iran. I guess that pinpoints this story to fall of 1979- spring of 1980.

My Dad, like so many others, was laid off right before Thanksgiving. Ours was a house with 5 kids and a SAHM, just like almost every house on the block. This had to be a very scary time for my parents and especially Dad, who had the responsibility of being the bread winner.

However, we kids never saw the stress and the worry. We were too young or too naive, but most of all I think it's that Dad worked hard to keep us protected from how bad things were.

Every morning Dad would wake us up for school and tell us to get dressed while he went to the kitchen and made us breakfast. Oatmeal. With butter, white sugar, raisins and milk. Every morning. Every morning. Every morning. Do you remember the movie Groundhog Day?

When it was time for lunch, we walked in the door to sandwiches waiting on the table. Peanut butter and jelly or bologna. Any of the regular folks around here may remember that I am a picky eater. I'll eat a peanut butter sandwich on white bread, but you have to hold the jelly. I'll only eat bologna if it's 1 extra thin slice between 2 pieces of white toast. Dad didn't know these slight intricacies of my diet. He had never been around at lunch time. I didn't have the heart or the courage to tell him, so I would just sit and stare at my plate and Dad would get frustrated that I wouldn't eat.

We kids were used to our independence in these areas and we liked our routine. Dad was throwing a monkey wrench into the way we were accustomed to going about our day. We were cringing at being served and waited on, when we should have been appreciating it.

Eventually, Dad pulled out of me the issues that I had with the lunch menu and would then make sure my sandwich was made to specs. The oatmeal continued because he knew we liked it (although who could like it every single day?) and it was the cheapest way to feed us all a hot breakfast.

Sometime in the spring, right around Easter, Dad found a new job. Once again we would not see Dad in the mornings or at lunch. Like it used to be, we would not see him until he came home in time for dinner. Once again, I was too young and to naive to appreciate the significance of what this meant for our family. I was just happy to have that bit of independence back in my life. I was surprised to realize that I missed him and those meals, once he returned to the work force. Looking back that time holds some of my best childhood memories.

Mr. Weasel has been laid-off since early November. We have 5 kids to provide for. This has been a very stressful and worrisome five months. And it's a stress that we have striven to protect the Weasels from. Mr Weasel has been a big part of daily life around here. He has been making school lunches and steaming bowls of oatmeal. Eyes have been rolled. It took him a while to understand and remember the intricacies of our pickiest (Monkey Weasel) eaters diet.

He's made the most of this time off to chaperon school field trips and attend school parties. These are things that he never had the opportunity to do before. He's taken part in driving the kids to school and playing RockBand with them.

We are happily anticipating Mr. Weasel going back to work very soon. After all, it's almost Easter and everything else seems so parallel to my childhood. Not to mention there is very good prospect in the wings.

I know that I will miss him being around during the day when it does happen. And I think that will be true for all of the Weasels too. Even if they don't know it yet. Because dads are so much more than a paycheck.