Father’s Day

Happy Father’s Day to my Irish Cockroach 2022

Your three sons and I decided to hijack your weekly blog to recognize you, Mr. Lawson, for making everyone reflect, forget about themselves and be entertained with your wisdom at hand. From our first year of marriage the nasty word “cancer” entered the newlywed year. We had no idea what our future entailed, but knew we would tackle this journey together. I remember that day very clearly praying to God, if something happened to you, I wanted a little boy who looked just like you. My prayer was answered when Devin was born Christmas Day 1989. I must have been too busy to turn off the prayer request, because David and Dillon arrived 12 months and 2 weeks later!❤️ Our three sons have adored you as a father, a friend and a role model like no other. From a very early age, they have emulated your very move…wanting to be like you, Peter. From middle school until present day, they have watched HOW you face each health challenge with so much dignity and unselfish encouragement for all who are around you. YOU have made them the wonderful men who stand before us today.

You, Mr. Lawson are our world and we love you. Happy Father’s Day. 1-2-3❤️☘️🪳

– Diane

With each Father’s Day, I find myself learning more and more about whom my father is. As a child, I saw my father as many things: a provider, a role model, a jokester, a professional, and a loving parent.  The things I did not see—that he and my mother hid well from my brothers and me—were the struggles of real life: bills, taxes, careers, family and friend relationships, etc. He kept those personal struggles from us to ensure we had amazing childhoods with memories we will depend on later in life when we wished times were easier and more carefree.

As I continue to grow and look forward to one day starting my own family, I look back on those memories and have slowly realized that there is no perfect recipe for relationships, family, or for life; there are no guarantees. The level of effort and sacrifice that my father gave to sons, his wife, to his family, his career, his mind, and his health were and are self-made. It was never asked of him, but rather instilled in him to be the best father he could be. That much has never and will never change. 

The humble outlook of his struggles and successes are even better understood through his journey with cancer annotated through this blog. It has given so many people, whether they are survivors, caregivers, or struggling with their own challenges, a source of hope and incredible perspective that make stress, worry, and uncertainty much less significant and much more beatable. They are stories that help people face their own uncertainties with the perfect combination of realism and optimism to bring out the hero inside themselves.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad. You are my hero. 

– Dillon

I’ve always known my dad to be a great storyteller. Whether it’s a ghost story by the fire, reflecting on funny stories of youth, or giving the eulogy of someone he loves – the delivery is captivating. He doesn’t necessarily say a lot, but when he does it’s hard not to listen.

This blog has been a phenomenal way for more people to experience that. If you’ve tuned in to each post, you’ll start to notice themes he tends to stick to. My personal favorite is his ability point out the light during times of darkness. It’s not an easy thing to do but that embodies the “Irish Cockroach” message.

My daughter Quinn is incredibly lucky to have a role model like the Irish Cockroach as her “Papa”. While it sometimes feels like a tall order, I’ll always always do my best to show her the light when there’s darkness. Happy Father’s Day, Dad. You are so loved.

Slainte!

– Devin

While it is pretty common for people to hold one specific nickname, my dad has been riddled with various labels throughout his life. Peter Cotton Tail, Old Man, Pistol Pete, Stick Arms. Each one holding a unique type of relevancy per every story that it stemmed from. Even though some tend to stick around longer than others, none have been able to outcompete the most compelling and captivating one ever used: the “Irish Cockroach”. Legend has it that my older brother Devin and my mom are still arguing over whoever actually coined it. 

Two distinctive terms that presumably have never been paired together and have never sounded so fitting in describing my father. His unwavering love for his Irish heritage and remarkable means of inconceivably  outsmarting any and every medical obstacle that he’s faced made the “Irish Cockroach” nickname unquestionably perfect. My dad continues to embody the virtues that are instilled within the nickname, such as having immense pride for his ancestral country and harnessing unprecedented strength, optimism, courage, and sacrifice with every cancer battlement he has faced. He has passed these and many other powerful virtues, advice to live by, and stories onto his family, friends, and now readers through this blog. 

The content within each post and story serves a meaningful purpose and genuine reminder to appreciate the life you live, regardless of what roadblocks you may face along the way. As said in the Desiderata, “be cheerful, strive to be happy”. I once heard that when a man’s stories are remembered, then he is immortal. May the memories within the Irish Cockroach carry your name and virtues until the end of time. 

Here’s to a happy Father’s Day and living forever, Irish Cockroach. I love you. 

— Dave