by Avery Cloward

Created on: June 05, 2008

What is a good gift to give to a father who has just newly been introduced to fatherhood, you ask? There are many answers to that question, for there are so many possibilities. Father's Day is a special day, because it comes only once a year, and because it's the one day many people can give a present to their father that shows they really appreciate them without feeling odd or cheesy. Father's Day is meant to show appreciation. What way can we show appreciation?

You can get him a nice, warm pair of slippers, but what if he's in his mid-twenties? What's an average twenty-five-year-old going to do with a pair of slippers? He'll think it is an odd gift. He'll feel like he must be getting very old to actually have someone buy him slippers. That's the kind of present you give to senior citizens, who enjoy staying at home all day in their nice pair of slippers. That's what they do. But, it isn't the right present for that young man.

You can get him a nice big barbell. That way, he can stay in shape and he can do it at home and not have to take that long, tedious drive to the gym. But, what if this dad is a guy who is kind of skinny and lanky? What if he's got some kind of sickness or is just plain old skinny, what kind of use does he have for a barbell? None at all, actually. All he can do all day is watch it mold and rot in his attic and wait for it to finally grow cobwebs so he can polish it again, and then go back to watching. Unlike the young man with the slippers, this will not make him feel any younger or older, and will probably think the presenter of this gift is making fun of him, or trying to hint at something. It'll make his feel dissatisfied, and that isn't a good thing to start off your first year of fatherhood. He'll feel as if he really is inadequate at many things if he can't lift that weight, and will try to lift it up and end up breaking his back. Not a good Father's Day gift after all.

All right, what about a nice collared shirt? The problem is, what kind of shirt? I couldn't possibly write that down. My father likes aloha shirts, because it reminds him of his hometown in Florida. He also likes collar shirts, because they make him look somewhat sharp, I suppose. My uncle likes baggy, cool shirts with preferably pictures of basketball hoops on them, and he hates collars. They're both different, as are all fathers, and I couldn't say that one of these gifts that would fit all fathers' likes.

There is only one thing that you can give all fathers, young and oldbut especially the first-timersthat they will love and appreciate immensely. Give them a big, hard slap on the back, and tell them they're doing just great. They'll smile, and never forget it.

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