father’s day ‘11
my dad has spent his life serving others. and today, a sunday and father’s day, is no different. he’s at work. i’m hoping to talk to him on the phone later.
he serves strangers. my dad is a neonatologist - he cares for premature babies. his time (60-100+ hours/week), energy, emotion and talent are dedicated to saving the lives of those who can’t save themselves. to compound things, the frustrating situations where a 15 year old mother delivers, while clearly still in the middle of substance abuse, change nothing. that child is helpless and compromised beyond belief. day-in and day-out my dad rises before dawn and dedicates himself to these tiny strangers and their families.
certainly there are many other more lucrative areas of medical practice. those areas consist of far more attractive schedules and quite honestly, less death. however, i believe my dad does what he does (and has for more than 25 years) because while surgeons (*many surgeons are friends, family and clients) can scrub out at 2pm and hit the links for a late round or head home, premies are born on no one’s schedule but their own. he is a hero and a scientist - serving patients and pushing the edge of science to save more lives.
over the years my dad came home to my mom and his 5 children and didn’t let the death and stress he experienced daily change or limit the attention, love and dedication he had for us. that’s incredibly difficult to do, i believe, and it amazes me to this day.
he serves the poor and those in need. through constant donations and visible support my dad champions many causes, especially that of the impoverished. i have no idea the exact figures, but i guess that my father donates a large % of his annual income to various organizations. i donate in his name every year as he raises money and walks in support of the poor in this country. his example is one that my siblings and i follow in this regard - contributing time and money to others, particularly those with less.
he serves his family. my dad has served his family in countless ways. he has served us through attention and care, always being there - for clarity on a math problem, for a ride to saturday practice, and for a swift and deserved reprimand. interestingly, he has served us through latitude - always allowing us to explore, to be ourselves and to choose our paths. he has served us through sacrifice - of time, personal agenda (though i suspect his personal agenda has amazingly been our success and happiness), and money. he has served us through education - enabling attendance to the best schools and higher education of our choosing, but also exemplifying and encouraging continuous self-directed learning from the world around us.
probably most important, he serves us through his example. his example is all of the above, and also that of humility, curiosity, pride, respect, tolerance, humor and learning.
i’ve interacted with many people in my life, and i can honestly say that no man comes close to living up to my father as a man, a father, and a human.
as ive grown older and had the opportunity to understand this complex and caring man, i think i’ve realized that he’s serving himself by serving others. i believe he understands his role in this world to be service leadership - that fulfillment comes from putting others first and setting the example for a life of meaning.
**i write this on father’s day and thus focus on my dad. however (and he would be the first to say it) his leadership has been 1/2 of an amazing example set by both he and my mom.
