Somebody's hero

If I was asked by the astute thinkers of the world a good title for a darn good dad, that's what I'd pick. "Somebody's Hero". This opinion of mine has formed over countless days, nights and everything in between on the lovely occasions I've gotten to hear my husband come home from work and be greeted like he is a king. Don't get me wrong, they like me, and most importantly, love me. Someday when they grow up and fly the coop they will call home and after a quick greeting will give my husband a "so...is mom there?" However, when I walk through the door I'm pretty lucky if anyone notices, unless of course it's meal time. When Brian walks in the door, the world stops spinning and little people shout his name and run to him and hug him like a soldier returning from battle.

The motivation for them to do that comes from something I like to call hero worship. Because he is their hero, in so many ways. From the moment he first looked at a little toddler who was barely eating solid foods and gave them a bite of his ice cream to that adorable day on the golf course last summer when he taught an eight year old about visualization. That eight year old hit that golf ball over a very large lake, landing it in the perfect position for his next shot. Daddy is the guy who made up games like "Mr. Tickle guy" and spends his only night off taking two wiggly dudes swimming and for ice cream at Arctic Circle. And Dad is the man who, when after repeated warnings about some form of rule breaking, will still with complete gentleness, reprimand a child in the most loving way I've ever seen done. Letting them know that their feelings are more important than any rule.

Someday he will be the guy they go to for advice, and yes, I'm sure there will be days when he is no longer the hero, but the person taking away all their fun and freedom and "ruining their social lives". What it will all come around to at the end of it all, he will be their hero. Immortalized in their little minds like a modern day Hercules (without the muscles of course). So in honor of the greatest hero Tyler and Jake Gough will ever know, here is a portrait of this wonderful man.