June Jam

I grew up believing jam to be sticky, sweet preserves made from Mother’s strawberries, mulberries, or rhubarb. And although my favorite book character, Francis, preferred bread and jam over poached eggs and toast, I liked waffles.

As a teenager, jam became both the predicament of being caught between my curfew and the reason for a dent in the left, front bumper of my white, Datsun B210.

In college, jam was a musical session around a grand piano with my fellow theater students at the University of South Dakota; and in the 1990s, I jammed to the Matchbox Twenty and Hootie and the Blowfish.

As an adult, I have learned that coffee is my morning jam.

Jam also describes the month of June, because, if your calendar is anything like mine, it is showered with graduation, wedding, anniversary, and birthday reminders, along with a big circle around Father’s Day. The celebrations compete for space next to doodles around such festivities as golf outings, doctors’ appointments, family reunions, friends’ visits, vacation days, and expected baby arrivals.

June is jam-packed, chock-full, and tied tight with wrapping paper, ribbons, and the reality I probably won't get everything done before the special occasions take place.

Then, I’ll be back in a different kind of jam.

Weddings can be a root cause for June’s hectic agenda. Nearly 11 percent of 2 million couples tying the knot in the month of the pearl. My family is proof of this. Four out of five couples in my immediate family kissed to clinking glasses in the month of June.

The Roman goddess, Juno, started us down this path, as the patroness of marriage, childbirth, and the well-being of women—or so says the Farmer’s Almanac. However, the 200-year-old periodical also predicts hot and dry conditions this month, even though we have been experiencing frequent rainstorms as of late.

Yet, this means Father’s Day should be sunny this year, which will please the 76% of Americans who, according to Finance Buzz, say they plan to celebrate the paternal holiday, If you are among them, you probably won’t be surprised to learn approximately 72 million, or 60% of the 121 million adult men in America, are fathers, and 2.1 million of them are stay-at-home dads.

According to current research, today’s millennial fathers are spending nearly three times the amount of time with their children as fathers did back in 1965, like mine. Whether due to remote work, lifestyle changes, or a commitment to engaged parenting, this is good news for little ones.

In fact, more than 1,000 fathers surveyed by Drive Research said they:

·     Prefer to spend the day with their children (88%) or spouse/partner (69%).

 ·     Want to go out to eat or dine at home, and half of them expect their spouse or partner to arrange the celebration.

 ·     Would like to receive a gift, whether it be something as simple as a gift card (42%), a hand-written card (37%), money (30%), or some sort of food or beverage (29%); and most gift-givers (66%) say they plan to spend between $25 and $149.

However, remember that a simple phone call to say, "Thanks. I love you" is priceless.

I was (as nearly everyone is) blessed to have “the world’s best dad,” and although he is no longer living, I enjoy reminiscing about him, not only on Father’s Day and his birthday, June 13, but throughout the month due to its various holidays.

·       June 9 - National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day. Dad raved over my mom’s pies, especially rhubarb - always with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.

·       June 11 - Corn on the Cob Day. My dad was infamous for grilling corn on the cob. He'd soak the corn in saltwater, then throw them on the grill to steam inside their husks. We'd peel back the charcoaled covers, roll the cobs in butter, and hold the reversed husks like a handle as we gnawed our way around the cob, leaving a swath of melted butter across our faces.

·       June 14 - Monkey Around Day. My dad enjoyed a good spoof, silly, or satire. In one of my favorite photos, he grins while wearing a curly, brown wig out of my daughter's dress-up box.

·       June 24 – National Handshake Day. For my father, a handshake represented more than a cordial greeting. It meant you kept your word, and he always did.

·       June 29 – National Waffle Iron Day. Dad’s favorite family meal was waffles after Sunday church. Maybe he's why I liked them more than bread and jam.