On Friday, the much-awaited Celebrity Dad of the Year was announced. It's an odd award as most fathering goes on in private. I have absolutely no idea how good any celebrity is at fathering and am unsure whether it is something you can rank in a top ten list, but I guess it is a positive thing to honour the role. Single parent Peter Andre topped the list with Gordon Brown finishing two places above David Cameron in 5th: Cameron makes a better leader, Brown a better father seems to be the conclusion of a nation. Ronan Keating, in the headlines for the wrong reasons, finished 8th with our World Cup non-performers Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard in 9th and 10th.
My weekend focusing on fatherhood was far less public, although in some ways I guess my typing fingers are now turning it mildly public. It started yesterday when my whole family got together for the first time in two years to celebrate my dad's birthday which unfortunately for him, always falls within a few days of Fathers' Day. We had a picnic and did a Wimbledon sweepstake (I feeling good about Roger Federer and Justine Henin). I wrote my dad a poem and this morning he sent me a nice text and it all felt very special.
This morning I waited to see what my twins Ned and Jarvis had done for me. Ned started the day by poking me in the face while I was still half asleep before begrudgingly handing over a present: he was enjoying the vehicle-themed wrapping paper too much to part with it happily. Inside was the new Oasis collection of singles, Time Flies. Neither of the Gallagher brothers made it into the top ten fathers list; perhaps there is a connotation in people's minds that links cheesy pop with effective fathering? Jarvis also chose today to finally, after nineteen months and two days on this earth, take a few steps: giraffes take just one hour from birth to be able to achieve the same skill.
Once my gift had been wrenched back out my hands, we were off to church where I sang songs to God. The day got me thinking of God as a father to me; one of the lines in one of songs about his love knowing no limit reminded me of his incredible selfless sacrifice that meant that, if the Bible is to be believed which I believe it is, I am adopted into his family. I don't understand it all, but I know that I'm grateful and it is an inspiration to try and be selfless in my own fathering, and I guess the rotten nappy that I changed this morning is a small step in the right direction.
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