My father, Archie Garth, Sr., has been gone for many years but I think of him often and see his reflection in my older brother, my children, and, of course, in the mirror. That’s him in the photo,
looking dapper, and much younger than I remember him.
I occasionally wonder how my life might have been different had I known my father in adulthood (he died with I was 17). His influence certainly would have been felt in ways I cannot imagine. To speculate about such things is foolish of course but still, it remains a curiosity.
Fatherhood is the world’s largest fraternity and one in which I am an active member. I am the father of two daughters – a continuously dazzling experience to which nothing compares nor which anything could have prepared me.
Some of us become fathers early; some late; some multiple times. In the Dad World we all do our best; we all make mistakes. But we would trade being a father for nothing. None of us.
Happy Father’s Day to all: Those who are dads and those who call us dad.
The Outdoor Notebook 