A week has passed since Father's day and my father's present, ordered from America, still has not arrived (sorry dad). He would say that the best present was spending the weekend together, I am inclined to agree as all my girls were here too. One thing I can never bring myself to do is to write 'to the best ... in the world' this is true of my father, mother, wife and children and I have to check the cards to make sure that they don't make this empty statement. It is not to say that I undervalue those whom I love but to say you are the best father is the world would be just about impossible to me. I have checked my cards, home-made by my girls, and I am delighted to say that although they are lovely sentiments they have learnt from me .. there if not a single 'best' amongst them.
Now you might suggest that I am a bit of a cold fish about this and you might be right, however with any statement I make I try to make sure that is is honest and it is true, it is about integrity- well-meaning inaccuracy, however well intentioned is just not good enough.Actually if I call my father 'the best in the world' or if my children (now that they are old enough to understand) did the same to me then it almost undervalues the true relationship.Of course in some senses I am the best father to my children, as I am their only father. That logic also means I am the worst father, that is certainly not true!
Today Sharon and I completed the Torbay half marathon, two laps taking in Paignton and Torquay, great atmosphere and perfect weather. I did not win the £400 first prize and neither did I come last, I was not best nor worst and yet I did beat my previous best time by something like 2 mins - yes a PB! It is not much and due to technical difficulties the race organisers have yet to publish the results, but this was the best I had ever run, I still think that there were a thousand people before me.
One of the problems with me calling my dad 'the best dad' is that it makes the statement relative (forgive the pun); as if being 'the best dad' was a competition and the best being the only winner and by default making the rest losers. Yet today, despite hundreds ahead of me I WAS a winner, I have a medal to prove it and no one can take away from me, that, today I ran the best I have ever run.
I try to be the best dad I can be and I reckon that is all I can do, I am also thankful that my father gave his best to me so that I would not do him the injustice of calling him 'the best dad in the world'.
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