I have to get this off my chest…
Last week, I had a most disturbing conversation with my neighbor; a seemingly decent man who lives rather modestly, and who has a real soft spot for the downtrodden.
Anyway, I complimented him on his necktie, which was obviously a children’s craft project, with “#1 Dad” written on it, along with little hand prints and a big red heart with the words, “I love you, Daddy!”
His response really caught me off-guard.
He leaned in close and lowered his voice to a whisper, saying, “Yea, I know, nice isn’t it,” shaking his head side-to-side in sarcastic disapproval.
“My kids gave it to me. I don’t know what the hell they were thinking.”
“I mean, seriously, this is the kind of junk my parents used to give to their fathers back when they were in grade school, you know, like 60 years ago! What is this, 1940?”
“Anyway,” he continued, “I don’t mean to laugh; of course, I acted like it was all well and good, but honestly, this concerns me. Why don’t they just say, ‘Happy Birthday?’ Is there really any need to return to these kinds of practices?”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing! Here he was, a father, without any apparent shame, making fun of a gift that came straight from the hearts of his children.
Wow, I thought to myself, what kind of man actually does this sort of thing?
🙂 Touche
At least this father acted like it was good. Some fathers would ridicule the gift to the child’s face and not whisper about it…
I will pray for men that shamefully act like this….I might even count a few Rosaries for them.
I know this guy who was made CEO of a Fortune 500 company, and he was to be the guest of honor at a party at the home office when he took over. They rented out a hall, decorated it to the nines, and procured a wonderful band that played only the best music you could imagine. A lot of people at the home office – from the bigwigs to middle managers, to the secretaries, to the young kids in the mailroom – went to a lot of trouble to make the event beautiful and welcoming. They wanted to show how much they loved their company, their jobs, the new CEO, and how much they believed in the products they produced. It was a real “team-building” effort.
All the employees and the hired band were gathered in the hall waiting for this CEO. At the last minute, he decided not to show up. He told his personal secretary to inform the people in the hall that he was too busy, and that he didn’t have time for parties and bands while there was so much work to be done. To make matters worse, word got out that he had told someone that he (the CEO) “wasn’t like some bloodsucking US Senator that loved all the perks of the office while getting over on his constituents.”
I thought to myself, Wow… imagine being a part of that company….
I presume Louie is speaking in parables, in allegorical reference to some recent words of our Papa?
@Christophe,
Yep, only the dates are wrong.
If it was 60 years ago it would be 1950’s.
@Cristophe,
Yes, it’s like the pope’s boorish remarks he made about the group that offered up several thousand rosaries for him.
All of this leaves me very sad for the poor Bishop of Rome. I am praying fervently that Our Lady Of Fatima will reach his modernist heart and that he will consecrate Russia as She requested. We must never cease our prayers for him.
Jack Archer – like the empty chair at the concert a few months ago.
It could be allegory, it’d make sense. I think that human respect makes a lot of people do dumb things. Perhaps embarrassed by signs of affection, one might downplay them, but that can’t be said for the Pope.
My mother recently moved and was cleaning out lots of old junk. Unfortunately for me, she thought it a good idea to return to me keepsakes from my youth. Things I had given her, or that she had saved. A stack of school pictures, a lock of baby hair from when I was an infant, cards I had sent her, a baby tooth, etc. It was a bit sad, seeing all these things that were supposed to be her treasures just returned. (What? Are we breaking up?) I know nobody else would want them, but who hangs up their own school pictures? If she didn’t want the stuff, she should have quietly thrown it away.
At least the dad in this story is not expected to set an example for those outside of his family, calling them all in to be relatives and adoptees.
What kind of son publicly excoriates his own father?
Clare@NJ-
I wouldn’t call this “excoriating.” And if a Father is mistreating his children, it is best to be dealt with in public.
St. Catherine of Sienna, pray for us.
@Clare writes:
> What kind of son publicly excoriates his own father?
What kind of father publicly excoriates his own sons? Clare makes it sound like the father can do no wrong… he can and he has and he needs correction. Just like any other human being.
Jack Archer, if any correction is needed, it must be done with “due reverence,” in keeping with this section of the Code of Canon Law:
Can. 212 §3 They have the right, indeed at times the duty, in keeping with their knowledge, competence and position, to manifest to the sacred Pastors their views on matters which concern the good of the Church. They have the right also to make their views known to others of Christ’s faithful, but in doing so they must always respect the integrity of faith and morals, show due reverence to the Pastors and take into account both the common good and the dignity of individuals.