A Special Father’s Day
My husband’s father passed away recently so I know that Father’s Day will be extra bittersweet for him this year. I’ll take the kids down to Albany Mega Centre to find all the things we need to make it extra special for him.
Rod was close to his dad, James. They shared a similar sense of humour and a love of music, rugby and politics. Rod visited him often and would take him out with the kids on day trips. Every Father’s Day Rod would go all out to find something James would like – books, movies, CDs and sometimes even clothes. On the day, we’d all go out for lunch together. Both Rod and James were made to feel like extra special dads on that day.
Late last year, James had a stroke which left him with reduced cognitive skills, speech and movement. Rod agonised over it but finally made the decision to put him in a hospital-care living facility. We visited regularly, until lockdown happened, when we weren’t able to visit again. Occasionally we got to Zoom call but seeing his dad deteriorating so fast really upset Rod.
James passed away in early May and, because of lockdown, we weren’t able to give him a proper family farewell. Since then Rod has been moping around, pretending everything is okay but I can see that he still grieving. I’m hoping this Father’s Day will be bring the closure he needs.
I’ll take the kids down to the Albany Mega Centre and we’ll find some great gifts that Rod will love and that show him how special he is to us.
Our daughter Lisa is old enough to notice that “dad’s been a bit down since grandad died” and she wants to buy him something personally and just for him. We talk about getting him some aftershave, some shaving balm or some men’s moisturiser. That’s a great idea and I’m sure we’ll find these at either Pricewise or the Chemist Warehouse. Both stores have an extensive range of men’s grooming products.
James Jnr is still too young to pick up on the subtle changes in dad’s behaviour and immediately thinks of things that he’d like for himself. With a little bit of encouragement he starts to come up with ideas for dad that they can do together. Most of it relates to sport which is okay. I’ll take him to Rebel Sports and the Golf Warehouse to find something that will encourage Rod to get out running, playing tennis, basketball or golf with his son again.
I want to get Rod a couple of things beyond the obligatory socks and undies I buy him every year. It’s a bit of a joke we have every year but I also know that if I didn’t buy these for Father’s Day, he wouldn’t get round to buying them himself.
I’d like to get Rod a nice bathrobe. It something very luxurious and very intimate. I’ve seen some really nice ones at Bed, Bath and Beyond. The other thing I’d like to get him is a lamp for his office. He’s often working from home these days and we’ve had to set up a bit of a makeshift office in the guest bedroom. The lighting isn’t the best and a good desk lamp would make a big difference. I’ll pop into Lighting Direct for this, as I trust the quality of their products.
The last thing I want to get is a photo frame. I took a great photo last Father’s Day with Rod, James and the kids. I’ll get this printed out at Warehouse Stationery and then put it in a nice frame. There’s plenty of places at the Mega Centre that sell frame like Briscoes, The Warehouse, Farmers Home, Adairs, One Story or Storage Box so I’m sure I’ll find something nice. I’m even more sure he’ll love this.
Celebrating Father’s Day has always been important in our house and it will be even more so this year. Thanks to the great range of stores at Albany Mega Centre, the kids and I can make it extra special for dad this year.