A Father’s Day Story from a Son and Father

When Keith Anderson was a child, he would “make stuff” for his dad, Rick Anderson, for Father’s Day.

Now that he’s a dad himself, Anderson’s older two children make cards for him.

Such is the cycle of life.

Anderson junior, pastor of the , who has blogged about parenthood on Woburn Patch, spoke to us Wednesday about Father’s Day and parenthood.

Some children look up to their parents, literally and figuratively, as towering, and maybe even slightly overwhelming figures.

“My parents never felt like giants to us,” Pastor Anderson said.

Anderson described his father, Rick, who is retired and living in Tallahassee, Florida, as “really down to earth” and “fun.”  The senior Anderson worked as a banker in Baltimore, his son said, and would take his son and daughter to Oriole games.

When Pastor Anderson was a kid, he said he played basketball. His dad “was my biggest fan.” His dad came to his games.

“His passion for my passion was a real gift,” Pastor Anderson said.

Lots of fathers and sons connect, he said, through sports.

The first Father’s Day that Pastor Anderson was a father himself—when his daughter, Ellie, who is 8, was born, he said it was nice when his in-laws called to wish him happy father’s day. His mother sends him “sweet cards” for father’s day. The Andersons, Keith and Jennifer, have four children:  Ellie, Finn, 5, and twin daughters, Dulcie and Tess, 2 ½.

When you have children—especially four, with a set of twins, “you learn to live with chaos,” Pastor Anderson said. It’s pretty amazing, he said, to see how each child is different, especially the twins.

“When you become a parent, you realize that you bring flaws and gifts,” Pastor Anderson said.

“You try to love your kids as much as possible, hope you give them what they need to be happy and successful.”

Even if the parent-child relationship is complex, there is “always something to be grateful for.”  Anderson dealt with some of that complexity, he said:  his parents divorced and remarried.

The Andersons have a rule for Father’s Day, and Mother’s Day, too.  “You”—the honoree—“get the day to yourself.”  He hits golf balls, he said, or goes to the movies.

During Pastor Anderson’s interview, his son, Finn, came into the room, pretending to hide and to be a ghost. When Ellie came home from school, she headed right in to say hello to her dad.

Happy Father's Day to Pastor Anderson and ALL our Woburn Patch dads.