Unlike Zeek Braverman on Parenthood, I'm not our family patriarch, but the "Grand Dude"

 

This is my new job title. In my family, I'm the "Grand Dude"

Our family, my wife and I, our daughter and son-in-law and our son and daughter-in-law, were real fans of the television series Parenthood.  At one point, one of them described me as the family patriarch, a word I don't use.  

Then, as I understood what it meant I started to see the importance of the role as the family encourager in chief and the one who can dispense wisdom as asked for and needed.  

My role model was Zeek Braverman from the show.  He was far from perfect but acquired a knack for encouragement and an archive of wisdom  learned from decades of life.

The word patriarch sounds too much of biblical figures like Abraham.  But, my son Justin and his wife Lauren and my grandson Miles gave me the t-shirt in this picture which says, "I am the Grand Dude."  I like that better.  It's me.

My grandson Miles and his two cousins, Xavier and Gretchen, made me the "Grand Dude"