By Lester Holt, Weekend TODAY anchor
Viewers of TODAY first met my oldest son Stefan in 2005 when I did a live report from his dormitory at Pepperdine University in California. It was his first day of college, and we incorporated our “goodbye” into a story about parents separating from their college-bound kids. Like any parent my biggest concerns back then were that he would be safe, not become too homesick, and that he would get good grades. I certainly wasn't thinking about his future career or even imagining that we might someday have a chance to work together.
Fast forward seven years, and there we were this past Friday sharing the anchor set on the noon news at NBC 5 in Chicago where Stefan has worked as an anchor and reporter for the last year. To say I had to pinch myself is an understatement. The father in me was bursting with pride, while the seasoned broadcaster in me was trying to remain focused on making sure it was a solid broadcast.
I won’t lie though. I was more than a bit nervous going into the newscast. A father-son newscast draws a lot of attention. It also potentially draws a lot of scrutiny. The last thing a parent wants to do is heap too much pressure on their child’s shoulders.
Two minutes into the program, however, the jitters were gone and it was just two co-anchors doing the news, as it should be. There was plenty of good-natured kidding before and after about him having to carry me, and me accusing him of stealing some of my expressions. There was also plenty of respect — the parental-child kind as well as professional respect.
What started out as a planned Thanksgiving family visit with my son and his new bride in their Chicago home presented an opportunity none of us dreamed of. When I offered to fill-in if one of the station’s other anchors wanted to take the holiday off I was mostly joking, not expecting anyone to actually take me up on it. I’m grateful the folks at NBC 5 did. No holiday gift can top it.
It seems only yesterday a teenage Stefan was waking up at 4:30 on Saturday mornings to follow me to the TODAY show studio. This time it was me following him to the studio, or as someone on the staff called it, “Take Your Father to Work Day.”
Thanks Stefan. It was a heck of a day!
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