It is difficult shopping for
Fathers’ Day cards when Dad is no longer with us. I stay in the section dedicated to husbands
and sons, and I do not tarry looking at cards for Dads.
It’s been eleven years since he
has been gone, and it does not hurt as much when I think of him, but that does
not mean I do not miss him. I wish he
were here to meet HoneyBunch and to enjoy my grandkids, his great-grandbabies.
He would have loved them all.
I was one of the blessed ones,
those who had a great father and who the holiday celebrates. He had his quirks and he wasn’t perfect, but
he was kind and protective and a great provider. He was funny and gentlemanly, and he was as
intelligent as he was handsome, but he preferred to be known for being a dad.
We meant the world to him and we always knew it. We were his legacy.
I shared him with two other
sisters and three brothers. My sisters
and I joke that each one of us was his favorite. We say that because he had the knack of
making us each feel special, the loves of his life.
As I chose cards for my husband
and my sons for Fathers’ Day, I realize not every father deserves a card or to
be honored next Sunday. There are those who, unlike my Dad or my husband or my
sons and my son-in-law, do not deserve the title. Instead of kind and protective, they are
cruel. Instead of good providers, they
shirk their responsibility. Instead of
loving their children and guiding them through this world, they think of
themselves first.
My father said those men did not
deserve to be called men, much less “fathers.” He said a real man would face
his responsibilities and protect his family.
A real father would think of his family first and would set a good
example for his children. To deserve
his children’s respect would be foremost in his mind.
I wish all good fathers a
wonderful day next Sunday. I am blessed
to have had a wonderful dad and he would be pleased to know that his legacy
lives on through my children and their families, and I see the same integrity
in my grandchildren.
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