What Dad really wants is you

Scanning lists of last-minute ideas for a great Father’s Day gift brought only a frown instead.

Because the special day was already so close, one source listed five digital purchases that would send pops over the moon, ranging from a streaming app bundle ($20/month) to digital-only Airbnb tourist experiences ($1 - $200 each) to online workout classes ($27/month).

A well-known Midwestern steak company conducted a survey of 2,000 dads and learned quite shockingly that what most fathers really want is a cold beer and a great steak. The Omaha Steaks survey revealed these are the things Dad covets today:

1. An ice-cold beer: 36 percent

2. Juicy steak dinner: 35 percent

3. Glass of whiskey: 31 percent

4. Phone call from his family: 31 percent

5. Peace and quiet: 30 percent

6. A physical expensive gift (tech, smart phone, etc): 26 percent

7. Watch whatever he wants on TV: 24 percent

8. To be left alone: 23 percent

9. To sleep in: 23 percent

10. Sports back on TV: 22 percent

11. A cheaper practical gift (socks, tools, etc): 21 percent

But is Father’s Day really about more booze and less time interacting with the people who mean most to us in the world? While COVID-19 and distance have conspired to make family get-togethers much more challenging than usual, forcing many dads with adult children to look upon each other through internet windows, the goal should not be forgotten:

A family-oriented holiday like Mother’s or Father’s Day should be built on experiences, not gadgets or gimmicks. In fact, it’s the accumulation of memories and memories alone that last, that bathe the most thoughtful, loving fathers in the soft and gentle light of immortality.

Not that there’s a darned thing wrong with a good steak. Just make sure there’s enough for the whole tribe as soon as you can, then relish every bite and every minute you have together.