Atticus Finch – Life with a good, caring man

This past Sunday we celebrated Father’s Day.  It is a much easier holiday now that the kids are grown, they take care of blessing their dad and I just take care of the meal!

 Of course I supplied the punch.  It was champagne Sangria that was a little dangerous – it tastes like fruit juice with no alcohol – so be careful and not serve this punch with any kids around!

Father’s Day got me thinking about how dads are often portrayed in films.  They can range from cruel – Robert Duvall as Bull Meechum in  The Great Santini to overly indulgent – Spencer Tracy as Stanley Banks in Father of the Bride to ineffectual but funny – Chevy Chase as Chuck Griswold in the National Lampoon Vacation films.  But real dads are more complex than that.  I loved William Powell in Life with Father, Dustin Hoffman in Kramer vs Kramer, Melvyn Douglas is brilliant in I Never Sang for My Father, but if I had to go with one dad who most reminds me of the kind of dad Andy (my husband) has tried to be its Atticus Finch.

To Kill Mockingbird is one of those novels and movies that moved me at a heart level like few others.  Scout’s dad, Atticus Finch embodies so much of the good of the masculine.  He is caring, strong and committed to his beliefs even in the face of threats.  But he is also a caring father to Jem and Scout, taking time to listen, making time for them even in the midst of his busy vocation. 

Greg's graduation from Mizzou law school
(from left - Nick, Andy, Greg, Sam, me, Katie)

I feel like Andy has tried to be that kind of dad and has succeeded more often than not.  He’s far from a perfect dad, but is always caring for our kids, has always had a high vision of who they are as men and a woman of God.  He has parented them by the standard of the One who loves them more than we do, not by the standards of today’s world.   We have both failed at times in our parenting and I know many things we could have done better.  But Andy has always tried to understand how the kids were feeling and the pressures they were under.  He did that much better than I did.  I am more of the “why would you do that, I didn’t so that” school. 

Atticus tells Scout, “…You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view, until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it".  That is one of the reasons I think my kids were blessed to have a dad like Andy, he has always tried to see things from what they were dealing with at any given time.  While that didn’t necessarily decide how responded it gave him a compassion and grace that I had a harder time giving to them! 

Now what does this have to do with punch! Very little except I wanted to make a special punch to toast Andy and what is more special than champagne?  So next time you have a special someone to toast, consider this punch.

Champagne Sangria Punch

·         1 (750-ml) bottle Prosecco or French Champagne, chilled

·         1/2 cup orange juice

·         ½ - 1  cup Mint Simple Syrup, recipe follows

·         1 lemon, zested and thinly sliced

·         1 lime, zested and thinly sliced

·         1/2 cup sliced strawberries

·         5 fresh mint sprigs

·         Crushed ice

·         1 cups sugar

·         1 cup water

·         ½  cup packed fresh mint leaves

Instructions

·         In a large pitcher, combine the Prosecco, orange juice, Mint Simple Syrup to taste (start with a ½ cup add more is needed), lemon zest, and lime zest. Add the sliced strawberries, lemon slices, lime slices, and mint sprigs.

·         Fill glasses with crushed ice and pour the sangria over the top. Serve immediately.

·         Mint Simple Syrup - In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, water, and mint over medium heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool for 20 minutes. Strain before using.