This Blog by Cher’ley Grogg
Fathers
I’ll start with the Ugly first. Some Father’s are Ugly, you can search for those photos yourself because I’m sure yours is not Ugly, but there are some ugly things
Dads’ want to keep like this chair. Ties and T-shirts from the good ole days are probably still hanging in his closet. He may even still have the first cell phone he ever owned or a corn cob pipe. This leads me to a great article I read about Father’s Day gifts.
The 5 Worst Kinds of Father’s Day Gifts, and What to Buy Instead By Brad Tuttle
I wrote a poem one time about a man knew how much he was loved by the number of ties in his closet. It was a funny poem, but I can’t find it. I guess it went down with Edit Red, that’s where I had it posted.
The Bad is in the middle anyway you look at it.
I think this Song portrays it perfectly:
My child arrived just the other day
He came to the world in the usual way
But there were planes to catch, and bills to pay
He learned to walk while I was away
And he was talking ‘fore I knew it, and as he grew
He’d say, I’m gonna be like you, dad
You know I’m gonna be like you
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you coming home, dad?
I don’t know when
But we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then
My son turned ten just the other day
He said, thanks for the ball, dad, come on let’s play
Can you teach me to throw, I said, not today
I got a lot to do, he said, that’s okay
And he walked away, but his smile never dimmed
Said, I’m gonna be like him, yeah
You know I’m gonna be like him
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you coming home, dad?
I don’t know when
But we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then
Well, he came from college just the other day
So much like a man I just had to say
Son, I’m proud of you
Can you sit for a while?
He shook his head, and he said with a smile
What I’d really like, dad, is to borrow the car keys
See you later
Can I have them please?
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you coming home, dad?
I don’t know when
But we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then
I’ve long since retired and my son’s moved away
I called him up just the other day
I said, I’d like to see you if you don’t mind
He said, I’d love to, dad, if I could find the time
You see, my new job’s a hassle, and the kid’s got the flu
But it’s sure nice talking to you, dad
It’s been sure nice talking to you
And as I hung up the phone, it occurred to me
He’d grown up just like me
My boy was just like me
And the cat’s in the cradle and the silver spoon
Little boy blue and the man in the moon
When you coming home, dad?
I don’t know when
But we’ll get together then
You know we’ll have a good time then
And that leaves the Good
I loved my Dad very much, he was a good dad. My husband was a Good Dad, my son is a good Dad and my grandsons are good dads. I know about good men.
In writing, what is your man character like? What are the qualities you give the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? In life, I hope the good men are in your life, but it’s not that way for everyone, so be considerate. My Dad was a good dad, but he was gone a lot for work, and he wasn’t always good to my Mom, so he wasn’t a great man.
Happy Father’s Day
Cher’ley’s Books are listed below and on sale at Amazon and local bookstores. Her newest book is an Advanced Coloring Book and she has one that is freshly published with 11 other authors.
Stamp Out Murder”.
“The Secret in Grandma’s Trunk” This is an especially good book for your Tween Children and Grandchildren
The Journey Back-One Joy at a Time and the B&W Edition of The Journey Back
Boys Will Be Boys 
The Joys and Terrors of Raising Boys-An Anthology
Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico
link coming soon
Wonders of Water 
Advanced Coloring Book
Writing Wranglers and Warriors 
Cherley, I remember the song, “The Cat’s in the Cradle.” This was an interesting post.
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Thanks Abbie. I like it too, never examined it like I did this week.
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No matter who they are, no one is perfect. To me the imperfections are what make a person interesting, especially when they want to ‘fix’ those issues.
A most interesting post. Thanks! Doris
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Having just returned from a big trip, and more than a week spent with my father, I can say I saw the good, the bad and the ugly during the past 7 days. But, overall, the trip was wonderful and I’ll always treasure the memories created and shared with him. As Doris said, no one is perfect and we can all learn lessons from those imperfections, in others and ourselves. Great post, Cher’ley — I, too, remember that song very well.
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Back in the day “Cat’s In The Cradle” was one of my favorite songs. That song teaches a hard lesson. I saw a post of a friend from my newspaper days in the 1980s in Florida. She wished a Happy Father’s Day to everyone — even to mother’s who had to fulfill the role of father and mother to her children. Lisa never had a father in her life… he had chosen not to be in her life.
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Dad’s have changed so much over the years. They seem to help around the house more and with the kids, more than ever before. However, not everyone is a dad, whether or not they fathered one, which is sad. Happy Father’s Day to all dad’s, and I really miss mine.
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Now that really is a perfect song, Cherley and is so indicative of the lives we lead…and don’t lead. BTW my husband has a box of more than a hundred ties that he now almost NEVER wears but he used to wear one every day to work before he retired.
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My dad passed away when I was young, but I do have a lot of good memories of him. My hubby Jay is a good dad and a good granddad too. I see in him several traits I remember from my Dad. Jay took on the role of Dad when my daughter was 4. He was a bit terrified at first, but he slowly settled into the role. Never having been a little girl his influences in her life were more outgoing then mine. I may have taught her how to ride a bike, but he taught her how to ride an odyssey. Her and I read together while she spent time building things with him. I think together we made a pretty good team.
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