Father’s Day with Ace.

THOUGHT I’d ditch the footy chat this week and concentrate on one of the best days of the year. This Sunday, Father’s Day! 

Of course, Mother’s Day supersedes it because hey, we all wouldn’t be here without them, but I feel that our dads often get the short straw. 

My dad Kev, or Ace as he is known (a nickname he self-dubbed as to align with his euchre prowess) is 79 years old this October and he has had his share of obstacles over the past decade. Prostrate, bowel, and lung cancer have all been knocking on his door since 2019. 

But such is his constitution, Ace has repeatedly said “not today you bastard.” 

My mum and dad met whilst working in the same firestone factory some sixty years ago. I was actually conceived at Blacktown Drive-In, and it took me just on 8 years to work out that I was literally at their wedding. One day after school the penny dropped as I put my school bag onto the floor and for some reason glimpsed one of their wedding photos hanging from our wallpapered wall. 

“Hey mum, if you got married in June, and I was born in December, that means ….. before I could finish the sentence Ace yelled out from behind his paper, “Yes mate, you’re the reason we got married” .. snickering. How romantic haha. 

We never had much growing up in our fibro shack housing commission house in the suburb of Whalan in Mt Druitt, but me and my three siblings would never have known. Such was the love both our parents afforded us. 

Mum was sixteen when she had me and dad was eighteen, both babes themselves, but they were always there for everything we did as kids that involved sport. 

No matter how far they had to travel or what was the cost, they always found a way. 

My dad is a dry-witted man who constantly looks for a laugh in any conversation in any sort of company. A trait that was somewhat embarrassing when growing up, but a trait I now see as one of his strengths. And like most Father-Son relationships we’ve butted heads over the years (figuratively speaking) but have always had an amazing relationship. 

And yes, like most blokes who may be reading this, I don’t see him as much as I’d like, something I’m going to change going forward. As we celebrate our dads this Sunday, as well as those that have unfortunately left us, if you’re able, give your ‘old man’ a big hug and tell him how much you love him. 

There will obviously be a day that you cannot, so make this Sunday count by reaching out to the man who helped put you on this planet and in my case make sure you keep a keen eye on him when the cards get brought out for a ‘friendly’ game of euchre. 

MG (random Westie) OAM