A Father’s Time

When my son, who is now in his junior year of college, was eight years old I purchased a Beck Spyder.  We lived in Gig Harbor Washington and the car was built by John Willhoit.  John is a talented friend of mine whose shop is in Long Beach California.  The opportunity to share a road trip with my impressionable son was far too great to ignore. After all…

Time, is by far, the greatest gift a father gives a child.

My wife sewed Mille Miglia patches on our matching red hats and we called our journey the Greene Mille.  We flew to SoCal to begin our five-day journey up Highway One.  As we prepared to leave John’s shop, I double-checked my list of supplies and John said, “You only need one thing…A great attitude.”  He was right, you know.  This wasn’t about acquiring a car.  The vehicle was the vessel in which a father and a son would share some time. That father and son journey proved to be a milestone in my life as a father.

You share a lot on a five day road trip in a car with no top, no heater, and no radio.

Without any distractions, except the view out of a windshield, a five-day road trip offers you nothing but time.  Opportunities to teach appreciation, to show unconditional love, to challenge (Blake was the designated navigator and had his hourly check sheet for oil pressure, gas mileage and a map to track our progress), and to protect.  You can encourage, share, teach and accept that your child is not exactly like you, but his own person.  And you can lead by example in the way you drive.  Because those are…

Precious shared moments of time, which are a true father’s gift.

There are so many moments of that trip that I will never forget.  Let me share one.  You see, I’m a bit of a perfectionist.  At the end of day two, near the Hearst Castle, we checked in to our motel and together we cleaned the bugs off the nose and windshield.  When I discovered the first rock chip in the new paint, I groaned with frustration.  With the wisdom and honesty only an eight year old can share, my son put his hand on my shoulder and said, “Don’t worry about it dad.  That’s a memory mark. Every time you look at it you can remember what a special time we had today.”   There is that word again. Time. The day was special, indeed.

Special moments as a father are marks in time.

We made it home with some sunburns, smiles and memories I carry to this day.  Thank you for allowing me to share them with you.  We shared many more trips in time with that little car, along with lots of travels that involved automotive events.  And when I had to sell the Spyder to help finance private schooling.  I must admit there was a tear in my eye because of all the time we spent in her.  However, as I said earlier, it wasn’t about the car; it was about the journey and the time.  And of course…

My son has never forgiven me for selling the Spyder.

More importantly, he still talks about how special those five days were to him, with a big broad smile across his face.  Have you been fortunate enough to share a special journey with your child?  A moment in time that will forever be shared between you?  Tell me about it and what it means to you.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads who give the most precious gift. Time.