Simple Pleasures: Father’s Day

How would my husband, Chris, define the perfect Father’s Day? Chris is a very unselfish person who takes pleasure in giving to other people. He’s always the first one to help someone who needs it. Any time you ask him what he wants or what he needs, his response is, “Nothing. I have everything I want.” I feel extremely lucky to have Chris, as he’s very much a caretaker, but it would be nice if he let us take care of him for a change.

Chris’s favorite place in the world is our Rhode Island beach house, which has been in his family for almost a hundred years. His perfect Father’s Day would definitely take place there. Our daughter Taylor shares Chris’s interest in cooking, so she could start the day by giving him breakfast in bed—or better yet, breakfast on the porch while watching the early morning sailors on the bay. Taylor’s breakfasts may not be the fanciest you’ve ever had, but they’re definitely the most heartwarming.

Next would be a round of golf with our son Leland followed by a barbecue back at the house. I’d like to say that I would be the one firing up the grill, but Chris does the majority of the cooking in our family and that probably wouldn’t change, even on Father’s Day. I’ll make sure his favorite music is playing and that his glass stays full. An afternoon sail, swim, or bike ride would round out the day.

One of the best things about the beach house is that we’re surrounded by family and friends whom Chris has known since he was born. In the evening, everyone would be gathered around the fire-pit toasting marshmallows.

I know some dads who would like to spend their Father’s Day on the golf course, or off doing something for themselves. There’s nothing wrong with that! But I think Chris would choose to spend Father’s Day with his family, enjoying very simple pleasures—our daughter making him breakfast, a round of golf with our son, and being surrounded by the people he loves best. And, if I could arrange for him to have Monday off from work, he could go to sleep knowing he would have coffee on the porch again the next morning, and that would be the icing on the cake.