All, This part of an article Meredith and I published in Father's Perspective Magazine. "The years have rolled by all too quickly it seems. Father's Day after Father's Day has come and gone and over my desk is picture upon picture; some are hand drawn and some are photographs, but all are from my precious daughter. There are pictures with a little girl's wink and pictures of a toddler wearing heart shaped sunglasses. There are pictures for every year my daughter has been alive. Beside them are handmade cards and some store bought cards. But all of them proclaim and acknowledge my favorite role. I love being the Dad. My little girl has gone on to college and on to the seminary. Her visits home are much less frequent. She is building her own life now. Someday soon she may begin a family of her own. We keep in close touch. She is a person of wisdom and passion. She is unique and beautiful. She believes we are called to a higher purpose. She inspires me and helps me keep what is important in perspective. I love being her Dad. When June comes up on the calendar I notice that midway through there is a special day set by for fathers. I don't think I need special honors for being "the Dad." But every year the celebration brings to me, from my daughter, a loving gesture that warms my heart (be it card, gift, or craft) and brings home to me that I have been blessed. I love being the Dad. You ask, "Why is it important to celebrate Father's Day?" I think that in a very intimate way it is a bonding space to share love, attention, and respect with our children. But in a larger sense, a more archetypal sense, in a spiritual sense it is the symbol of our society's commitment to the ideals of a loving, nurturing, responsible, giving, noble, and embracing role that we call father. And to all our children, indeed to us all, the role of the divine father is essential to bring into balance the masculine and the feminine elements that make up us all. So the bottom line? Why have I responded to this topic? Why is Father's Day significant? I just look at my Father's Day cards, pictures, and presents. I feel in my deepest memories the love, the respect, the joys and the tears, the warm hugs and kisses. I love being the Dad."
It is the 100th anniversary of Father's Day. To all you Dads...Congratulations
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Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit Called or uncalled, God is present
It's wonderful when you have such a loving and healthy Father/Daughter relationship. I wish I would have grown up with a father like you and not the one I was born to. It makes me hurt every year, that I cannot say "Amen" in my own simple way to the elaborate Father's day Message my Rabbi gives. But I am glad for you.
Happy Father's Day Bear, and a happy father's day to all those of you who are fathers
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Hey dol! merry dol! ring a dong dillo! Ring a dong! hop along! fal lal the willow! Tom Bom, Jolly Tom, Tom Bombadillo!
Thank you Lady. Your graciousness and wisdom shines on us and warm us all. I am sorry this could not have come to you without pain. With humility, Thank you for your love, Bear
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Vocatus atque non vocatus, Deus aderit Called or uncalled, God is present
What a moving article. While I did not have love expressed to me by my father or get any of those warm hugs you wrote of, I did take a lot of myself from him. I revel in the relationship that my husband has with our kids and am thankful everyday to God that my children will never want to hear I love you from their dad and not hear it. I've always said anyone can be a father but it takes someone special to be a dad. Kudos to you and all the great Dads on the forum!!
