I looked for it there among the Hallmarks and Daysprings but couldn’t find one. Nope, not in the humorous, the religious or even the blank section. Not surprising, though, when you consider that the Father’s Day card I was seeking was pretty specific – one with a picture of 1988 Chevrolet Blazer on the front. To be exact, one with a candy-apple red, two-door Blazer on the front. But I guess I should start at the beginning, and to do that, I’ll need to go back to when my husband and I had just graduated from college and landed jobs.

Our first order of business? Replace the aging Monte Carlo sitting in our apartment complex parking space. “We need something more reliable,” we convinced ourselves.  And a bit easier on the eyes, too, if we’d been honest with ourselves.

My husband headed straight to a hometown dealership in Magee where Mr. Boochie Williams himself drew up the papers on a factory-fresh Chevy Blazer boasting cruise control and power windows and doors. It was the stuff of our yuppie dreams, and, unknown to us, the only brand-new vehicle we’d probably ever drive off a lot, thanks to later influences like Dave Ramsey. At the time, though, we 20-somethings reveled in the pristine interior, the double-digit odometer reading and, of course, the matchless new car smell.

A few flips of calendar pages later, Son No. 1 was on the way. We had to make some tough decisions in order to prepare for life on one paycheck, and my husband’s beloved Blazer (and its accompanying coupon book) would have to go. I do not recall a single complaint.

That first year as a stay-at-home mom held many delights, but some of our best outings, without doubt, involved the Jackson Zoo. Baby and I would meet friends for picnics, ride the train, gawk at the giraffes. I loved pushing a stroller, and he loved riding in one.

Inevitably, we’d pass by a fence near the offices of the zoo’s director.

(Did I mention the zoo director was the one who saw the ad in the Clarion Ledger and was there on our couch when my husband signed over a certain car title?)

So each time Son No. 1 and I strolled our way past the flamingoes, I could look through the fence and see that Chevy Blazer shining red, sitting curbside at the main office. In those freeze-frame moments I was vividly reminded of what my husband gave up so his son could have a full-time mom, and so I could have the job of my dreams.

So now you know why I was hoping to find a Father’s Day card bearing such an unlikely image. That Chevy is a symbol of a whole conglomeration of sacrifices my husband has made for his children.

And while many of us can be thankful for what our dads have given us through the years (happy childhoods, go-carts, nice homes, ballet lessons, straight teeth, car keys, college educations, fun vacations) it just might be that this Sunday is a good time to acknowledge something entirely different — what they have given up for us.

So to all you dads who think the sacrifices are worth it and have lived out your beliefs, thanks. We beneficiaries owe you more than we will probably ever know, and certainly more than any card can express. Have a very happy Father’s Day.

 

Wesson resident Kim Henderson is a freelance writer who writes for The Daily Leader. Contact her at kimhenderson319@gmail.com.