This Father's Day as I reflect on all that I owe to my father two things come to mind: an appreciation for the aesthetic and for human subjectivity.
My father taught his children to appreciate the beauty of the earth. Because of him I am not able to simply see a tree or a flower as the hunk of wood and bush that it appears to be to most. Instead I am drawn into the texture of its bark and the shape of its leaves. I notice the family from which it comes and the color and tendencies of how its limbs and viens angle themselves. I see the world as a place for scientific exploration. It is a place where discoveries are not simply the answers to questions but the turning of a corner to see that something more beautiful and intriguing may lay on the other side. In my mind I fear that this curiosity and pleasure derived from simple things will be the downfall to my pragmatism and in my heart I hope it so.
My father demonstrated to me that all human beings have a subjectivity worth our respect and care. It is easy to distance others and view them strictly from a objective standpoint, but life does not gain meaning simply from the pursuit of our goals but in the engagement of others. Our friends and relationship cannot be defined by their usefulness to us but by the love and friendship they bring into our lives.
Thanks Daddy.
