The month of June (the summer solstice of the northern hemisphere) the longest day. To me it brings thoughts of summer fun and the celebration of all the fathers in our lives. New ones, old ones, those who have passed on and those waiting patiently to become fathers for the first time. We all make plans to honor our fathers in special ways. Memories may be stirred up from our childhood days. Maybe projects we did with our fathers or a daily routine that became endearing and now one of the things we miss most about them. It might be a story he told that has stayed near and dear to us. Our plans for our fathers might include buying him something special or possibly making something he would appreciate. We might make his favorite meal or give him a day where everyone waits on him. Some will meet at the family homestead for all to share their favorite stories of their dad. Those stories bring back a ton of wonderful times together. One time I wrote a heartfelt poem about my dad because I didn’t know if he knew how much I loved him and admired about him but had never taken the time to tell him. My dad seemed touched and others in the family enjoyed it as well.
In all fairness I have compassion for those who may not have experienced a loving father. It’s not a perfect world. Some times fathers die unexpectedly or may have not been in their children’s lives for a multitude of reasons. Maybe they had to leave for reasons beyond their control. Or they may have been there but not a positive influence. But I pray that just maybe someone stepped up to fill the void in the lives of those children. Maybe it was an uncle or a brother or a neighbor or a stepfather or a teacher. Kudos to those who did that and filled that void for those children. You too should be celebrated on Father’s Day! God bless all fathers in whatever form they come.
