Of course we’re going

“Pat and his son, Kaleb at age 5, at their first Dad & Sons Weekend.So, you have a car wash Saturday and I have a Board meeting in Seattle. What do you want to do about Dad & Sons Weekend?” I asked. “Of course, we’re going,” Kaleb replied.

Not much of a question in his mind. It’s a tradition. As much as kids enjoy novelty, there’s a deep love for traditions that anchor them in positive memories and shared experiences with those they love. Dad & Me Weekends have provided me and my son, Kaleb, a deep tradition for ten years now. As a teen, his life is busier. But when it came to Dad & Sons Weekend this May, there was no question in his mind. We were going. We were going to stay in a cabin with the McDowells. He was swimming Friday night. We were going to do the activities with whatever time we had. And why would I ever question something like that? I don’t know.

Watching all of the dads and grandpas there with kids, grandkids, and sometimes “surrogate” kids, I realize that most guys want to do a good job with their kids. They want to be great dads/grandpas. They want to connect. They want to speak into the lives of their children and anchor them in values that stand the test of time. Dad & Me Weekends provide excellent opportunity for just that.

During the Dad & Me Weekends this spring, Jon and Aaron from Family Lines taught life principles using fly fishing illustrations and interactive activities that created memory points and building blocks for relationships.

One activity had 50 of us quiet and mesmerized. We watched a dad guide his blind-folded and trembling young son through a mousetrap maze using only his voice. We were spell-bound. “Please, God, don’t let him hit a mousetrap,” we collectively thought. We held our breath until his bare feet cleared the final mousetrap. Then – pandemonium! The boy was scooped up into the loving arms of his Dad and neither will soon forget that experience of terror, trust, hope, and sheer joy. I’m pretty sure there were a few moist eyes at the finale.

Dad & Me Weekends are about building memories that anchor relationships. Kaleb and I have shot hundreds of arrows and thousands of BB’s, rode many mountain boards, and our lives are richer for having done it together as a tradition.

Dad & Sons and Dad & Daughters Weekends at Warm Beach Camp in Stanwood, WA are also offered in September. For more information and to register: https://www.warmbeach.com/programs/family-programs/dad-and-me-weekends

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