Every year when Father’s Day rolls around my wife and kids ask the infamous question: What do you want for Father’s Day? I always struggle with this question, mostly because I don’t necessarily want anything, or more realistically, because I know we can’t afford any of the things I do want. There are definitely things I would like, a laptop comes to mind, but as the family chief financial officer, there is simply no way I could expect this for Father’s Day. Everything on my “want” list is too expensive for the family budget and I am reminded of my mother’s old saying, “the only difference between men and boys is the price of their toys.”
Luckily, I know my wife and kids are only asking what I want for Father’s Day in an attempt to “surprise” me. I know they are going to give me the perfect gift; the same gift I have gotten for the past eight Father’s Day. I am going to get my Father’s Day t-shirt. Now for those of you out there who scoff at the idea of getting or giving a t-shirt for Father’s Day, know that this is not just any ordinary t-shirt. This is the “We Love Daddy” t-shirt and it is homemade, which is what makes it so special.
Every year, my wife buys a solid color t-shirt, then the kids use paint to decorate the shirt with their hand-prints, they write “We Love Daddy” and put other artistic creations all across the shirt. The only real surprise is what color the shirt will be. I have red, black, a couple of blue, and several grey. It doesn’t matter what color the t-shirt is, it is what is on it that matters. My children look forward to making my Father’s Day shirt every year and I look forward to getting a new one. I then wear each and every one of them with pride, not just on Father’s Day, but throughout the year. The shirt never fail to get a response from total strangers when I wear them out in public and my kids’ eyes never fail to light up when they tell people that they made the shirt. My t-shirt is truly the perfect Father’s Day gift.
For those of you who are struggling to come up with the perfect Father’s Day gift, remember, a laptop would be great, but a t-shirt is perfect.