Father’s Day is coming up and I stumbled upon a truth that I find uncomfortable. Physically, I am stronger than my father. It came up while working on a car but it struck me quite weird when he asked that I torque down a part for him. He is getting up there but that moment hit me square in the chest.

There comes a time in any boys life where he will challenge the strength of his father. It starts young with play but as we grow so too does the desire to best our fathers. It’s a natural drive for self improvement. This was a virtue for me growing up but now that it has happened I am feeling the effects of a sudden understanding of morality.

I had long forgotten about the desire to challenge my father. I had grown to an understanding that he is strong in his own way and the desire to best him was replaced with the drive to best myself, a lesson I learned late in life. Our paths diverged from our walks in life, be it the work we do or the religion we follow (or half ass as the case may be). I followed a technical path and exercise my mind more than my body, a mistake I am going to correct and document here, so it never occurred to me that I would grow physically stronger than my father. His path was full of physical labor and to a large degree still is. His life was more engineering and going out and doing good or great things while mine was more about protecting the digital lives of my charge. But yet I stand here and reflect, I am stronger than my father. It is a very bitter pill to swallow as I know understand he is on the decline into old age and it will never be the same again…

To my father I wish him a happy Father’s Day, as I do with all the fathers in my life. I just hope that I have many more with him to celebrate.