Pater Familias

 I did a lot of borderline stupid stuff when I was in my twenties. The prevailing attitude around my house was clearly defined by my older brother, who worked in law enforcement: "I can't get you out of jail, but I can make sure you get a good room." 

These words came floating back to me this week as I thought about Hunter Biden's conviction on all three felony counts stemming from a 2018 gun purchase. This is what we heard from the White House: "As I said last week, I am the President, but I am also a Dad. Jill and I love our son, and we are so proud of the man he is today. So many families who have had loved ones battle addiction understand the feeling of pride seeing someone you love come out the other side and be so strong and resilient in recovery."

There were plenty of times when I was living life a whole lot closer to the edge that I wondered I was going to end the night on the wrong side of the law. Or in drawer in the morgue. My father was never the President, but he definitely was a dad. He led his own checkered past and I grew up at his feet hearing stories about hijinks in which he participated. Perhaps I took too much inspiration from these tales and not nearly enough caution. By the time I was living my own version of the wild life, I know that I put him and my mother through plenty of late nights and groggy mornings. 

And I am pleased to say that my father lived long enough to see me come out the other side, strong and resilient in recovery. Especially because not all the bets coming in were on me. I did not own a laptop back in those days, and I am glad that digital photography was still a decade in the future for me. Evidence of my own time on the edge is now mostly anecdotal. 

For better or worse, I have shared many of those anecdotes with my own son. I have been careful to explain that these are war stories, and that they are all to be taken with a great big fist-size grain of salt. In response, I have heard of some his escapades. He has been clever enough to allow a certain amount of time for the statute of limitations to expire. Nothing I have heard has made me think any less of him as a person, or made me love him any less. When he has struggled, his mother and I encourage him. When he succeeds, we congratulate him. Neither of us is President, but we are proud of the man he is today. 

Much in the same way that I am around to be proud of the man I am today. 

Father's Day.