[Marlene =
Robershaw, an avid reader of the grif.net blog for 20 years, had this =
tribute to father’s published in her local =
newspaper]
Let’s be =
honest folks, Father’s Day definitely takes a backseat to Mother’s Day. =
Look at the facts: Father’s Day was not celebrated until 3 years =
after Mother’s day. On the calendar it follows Mother’s Day by one =
month, Mother’s Day dwarfs Father’s Day in the encyclopedia, and sales =
for cards and flowers definitely do not break records on Father’s Day. =
And what about those calls to far away fathers on their day? It is =
Mother’s Day that tops the charts for long distance =
calls.
So what is the =
point I am making? It certainly is not to belittle the importance of =
Fathers but to show that mom’s attention is just more visible. =
Dads hold an equal place of love in our hearts, but we show it with more =
reserve and less fluff. And that’s how most Dads are. They =
quietly go about their work and responsibilities and earn our love and =
respect by being there for us.
The creation =
of Father’s Day is a very inspirational story of a hard-working single =
dad named William Jackson Smart. His wife died in 1898 while giving =
birth to their sixth child, and this Civil War veteran was left to raise =
the children alone in rural Washington.
In May 1909, =
Smart’s daughter, by then a married woman named Sonora Dodd, heard a =
sermon on Mother’s Day, enumerating the virtues of motherhood. Sonora =
decided to honor her dad’s dedication to his children by seeking to have =
a Father’s Day designated on the calendar. As we know, she was =
successful and we have been celebrating our fathers ever =
since.
In the era I =
grew up – the 40’s – our dad’s worked and supported the =
family, came home and put their slippers on and read the paper, hugged =
and kissed the children in a reserved manner and were a solid rock. They =
were always there for us.
But even =
though we didn’t have the generous expressions of love from our dads, we =
always knew they loved us. I had the assurance of my dad’s love without =
a lot of words or outward expressions. His love for me was so strong, I =
still feel it even though he died many years ago. I will always remember =
the one time he had to use the "belt" on me for discipline. He =
didn’t give me a 5 minute explanation before the punishment or apologize =
afterward, but I could feel his pain more than mine as he executed the =
judgment. Afterward, I knew he still loved me. I can still see dad’s =
tears as he walked me down the aisle to give me away in marriage. My =
father made me help do some of the yard work – I hated it. Now I am glad =
for his persistence as I enjoy my gardening.
The fathers of =
today are actively involved in the everyday activities of their =
children. They have been taught and encouraged to openly express their =
affections. Dads do dishes, cook, change diapers and set aside =
daily "quality" time with their offspring. I am amazed and =
thrilled to see the part my sons and son-in-law’s play in the =
nurturing of my grandchildren. Dads are still the vanguard of discipline =
in the home. They don’t use belts anymore, but just the firm and =
resolute "no" of a dad is powerful.
I don’t think =
enough has been vocalized or written about the importance the father has =
as a role model for his children. Actions speak louder than words, and =
dads are being watched by those little and growing eyes in the family. =
Good fathers not only tell us how to live – they show =
us.
Thank you =
Dads!
~~
Dr Bob Griffin =
[email protected] =
www.grif.net
"Jesus =
Knows Me, This I Love!"