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Interesting survey out thanks to the folks at CareerBuilder.com. It's all about dads and spending time with their kids.
According to this poll 48% of dads surveyed said they have missed a significant event in their child's life due to work at least once in the last year and nearly one in five ((18%) have missed four or more.
I don't get it.
Honestly, it's beyond my perception.
See, my dad, Stuart Kagan, never missed anything. Not a single track meet, football game, open house. He was at all of it for my brother, my sister and me.
Stu was "Mr. Mom" before there even was such a term. He was the one who got us up in the morning, who made our school lunches, who attended every event.
There simply never was a man who loved having kids more than my dad did.
What's with calling him, "Stu?" That's what all the kids called him. He was around when other kids' dads were not. So, he wasn't just popular with the Kagan kids; he was tops with all the kids on the block and at school. As they called him, "Stu," we often did, too.
It's time to share with you that my dad passed away last week at the age of 74. It was the end of a long physical decline. It would be a shorter conversation to tell you what ailments he didn't have in the end, rather than all the diseases that had moved into his body.
When we gathered to say goodbye on Tuesday in Los Angeles, the turnout was overwhelming. Twice what we expected. Forget standing room only. We ran out of that, too, as people spilled out of the chapel and listened to the service on speakers.
Many of those who showed up were the kids I had grown up with. They came to show respect for the Dad that showed up in all of our lives. It was truly a magnificent day.
That CareerBuilder.com survey also says 38% say they would take a pay cut if they could spend more time with their kids.
I can tell you from this end, that would be a great investment, indeed.
All the Kagans went to dinner the night before the memorial service. I sat next to my 10-year-old nephew Jack. He told me his favorite memory of Papa Stu was all the times he came down to San Diego and went swimming with him.
Then, Jack looked up at me and said, "Aunt Daryn, I bet you have a lot of happy memories of Papa Stu, because he was a really great dad."
Yes, Jack, he was. Indeed, he was.
Thanks for letting me share just a couple with you today.
Stu, here's wishing you are cheering all the kids on at the big baseball field in the sky. It's time for peace and eternal happiness.
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