Dads

You know how sometimes, you just get the need to write? Well, maybe not everyone. But for someone like me, who writes for a living, I get that need often--especially when I read something that inspires me. After all, people who write a lot tend to read a lot too. And while I've never read a lot of novels per se, I do read an enormous amount of textbooks, magazine and newspaper articles, web features and a host of other avenues in which to read. After all, books aren't the only things worth reading.

That said, I read this article on my lunch break today. It's from ESPN.com and it's about a father and son who have a great relationship. The son is a writer (like me) and his father has spent a lot of time battling cancer (like mine) and they have a shared love of a particular sport (in mine and my father's case, a love of Denver Broncos football.) The only difference? My father survived cancer. And boy do I feel lucky for that.

The article also talks a lot about the transition from being a son to being a father. I've been reflecting on that a lot lately, as my time to become a father is starting to approach (no Angela is not pregnant) so this article really spoke to my own situation. It's as if I was reading my own experiences and fears.

I remember as a young man growing up in Denver when John Elway was drafted and then traded to the Broncos for Guard Chris Hinton, Quarterback Mark Hermann and Guard Ron Solt. I remember my dad bringing me into the front room when John Elway first suited up for the Broncos and telling me -- "You should watch this guy. He'll be a legend someday." From that moment, I was hooked.

In my house, we lived and died by Broncos football. I remember vividly sitting at at the house of one of the people in our neighborhood as dad and I watched John Elway engineer "The Drive." I remember the subsequent jubilation when we led Super Bowl XXI at halftime, 10-9. I also remember the crushing blow when Phil Simms came out and threw the Giants to a blow-out victory. I remember dad and I sitting there in stunned silence--all our expectations dashed.

I remember more of the same next year as we lucked out against Cleveland with "The Fumble" and I remember the complete frustration watching Doug Williams pick the Denver defense apart for 4 touchdowns in the second quarter of Super Bowl XXII. Again, my dad and I sat crushed.

One of my earliest memories was how we reacted during the blow-out loss of Super Bowl XXIV. After getting whacked early on, my dad and I retreated into his office to play an early version of virtual golf on the computer. I remember that we would come out periodically to check how bad it was, but never stopped just playing games together. That's always had a bit of significance for me. No matter how bad things got, my dad and I were still family and that made everything ok.

Years later, after I had grown up and John Elway was nearing the end of his career, I left home to serve a mission for the church in Arizona. During that time, the Broncos enjoyed their best two seasons ever winning back-to-back Super Bowls. Since I was concentrating on the work at hand, I was not able to watch either Super Bowl, nor was I able to enjoy the famed "revenge tour of '97" nor the total domination of the 98 season. However, every week, my dad would send me articles about the games, what was happening and how well everything was going. It was like we were talking about what was happening just like normal, and home never felt closer.

Over the years, my dad has taught me a lot and imparted much of his wisdom to me on everything from dealing with women to how to handle a frustrating co-worker. He's been there for me when I've had professional and personal questions, and has never been afraid to talk about it. He's taught me about hard work, having fun and most of all a love for family. And while we still discuss Broncos football (much to Angela's chagrin) what we're really doing is showing our love and respect for each other. I hope, that when I have a son, I can teach him the same values of respect, hard work and love that my father has taught me. I know that it would make any Bronco fan proud.