My dad job is my favorite

Of all the things I've been up to now, the best has been being a dad.

I'm now in the middle ages of being a Baby Boomer and, with more yesterdays behind me than tomorrows ahead of me, I've built up a healthy resume of the things I've been:

Newspaper report, editor, director of operations, project manager. Ski racer, runner, surfer. Son, brother, cousin, uncle. Pain in the ass, curmudgeon. Singer, guitar player, piano player. Traveler, cook, photographer. Retiree, web surfer, data miner, blogger.

The best, by far, has been dad to Elizabeth and David.

In fact, I started writing these weekly musings about middle aged, Baby Boomer angst at the time Elizabeth was born, some 26 years ago. Her birth was the kick in the head wake up of the responsibilities of being a grown up started.

And then David was born three years later, and the notion of being a dad with a daughter and a son fully set in, both barrels, fully loaded.

You worry about your kids, you want to do the best for them, be the best you can for them. You make decisions you think will do them good and hope for the best. You hope to teach them by what you say and what you do, both the smart things you do and the bonehead things you do.

My biggest worry over the years was what kind of divorced dad I'd be.

A Pew Research Center study about Millennials -- the children of Baby Boomers -- said six-in-ten were raised by both parents, which means that 40 percent were raised by divorced parents.

I did what I could, took some of the examples of my own dad and mom and re-tailored them to my needs, trying not to lose sight that it wasn't about me so much as it was about the kids.

I'd been accused over the years of over-parenting, perhaps as an overcompensation, an over-adjustment, an over-correction for the divorce. But I know married moms and dads who over-parented too, so I can't blame it on the divorce, I just blame in on wanting to do everything as possible for my kids.

The kids are neither spoiled or lazy. They don't expect life to pave Easy Street for them just because their parents overparented.

They work hard at what they do. They're independent and engaging, as much fun to be with as adults as they ever were as infants, toddlers, tweens, and teens.

And today, as a result of a second marriage, I have the role as step-dad to add to the resume. It's been one of those bonuses that life can offer ... you know, lemonade out of lemons.

I'll be more things in the years ahead. I plan to hang in there for as long as possible to pad my resume as thickly as possible.

Along the way, Father's Day will remain one of my favorite days of the year. Not because of the attention that comes my way, but because it reminds me of the best thing that ever happened to me.