Fathers Day

It is now coming up on the second Fathers Day since my mother and wife both passed away. I am lucky and still have my father with me. So I find myself wanting to spend a lot of time with him. When in a position such as this, you really start to think how lucky you are to still have your father. To be honest, when my mother first passed away, I was unsure just how my dad would be able to move on with life being that my mother and father were married and together for more than 50 years. So many times you read about elderly people passing away and then less than a year later you read about their spouse passing away. So I am very blessed and happy to still have my father around and able to spend time with him everyday. (even if only for a little while)

I also think about others who no longer have their fathers. I think a lot about my Aunt, she lost her husband at a very young age and it left four very young children without a father. They had to grow up through their young years, teenage years, young adult years and middle age years without a father. That has got to be very difficult I believe for anybody. I was very lucky because I was able to make it to adulthood and even middle age before loosing one of my parents.

So many people in today’s world let a tragedy like this turn them against the world, get angry and blame a tragedy for them not to be able to move on or to continue to live their lives. I am sure without a doubt, that not a day goes by that my father does not miss my mother (I know I do), and I am sure that not a day goes by that my cousins do not miss their father, and I am sure that they could of used his guidance and understanding that only a father can give you at times. I am also very sure that so many times while raising her children that my Aunt could of used a husband and father to her children in her life to help out.

The amazing part of all of this is the fact that they had like so many others in this world got dealt a terrible tragedy in their lives. But having been dealt this tragedy, none of them let it affect them to the point of not being able to go on with their lives and in the case of my cousins to be very successful. Believe me, I truly understand that my father, my aunt and cousins are not the only people in this world who have been able to overcome tragedies and continue on to live their lives and not to blame their tragedy on what they may consider their shortfalls or inability to deal with life. People are out their doing it everyday in every facet of live. I only mention this because of how much it amazes me and the fact that I admire my father, aunt and cousins for the way they handled these things that happened to them.

However, the real reason behind this story or article is the fact that I want to show just how thankful I am for my father. I want to tell and show others how much they should be thankful for their father on this and every fathers day. I believe that anybody who no longer has their father with them can tell you that it leaves a big opening in your heart. So much more advertising and attention is given to mothers day, and rightfully so, mothers just as much as fathers deserve the attention given to them. They are also such a big part of our lives even as we get older.

Like I said, I lost my mother about two years ago now. But even as she got up in age a little. She was constantly bringing things up and remembering and praising her mother and father. Even now, I see my father as he gets a little older, he seems to remember his mother and father more frequently. So I can now say with confidence that I know that even the hardest of men in this world get soft with age when it comes to remembering their parents. I know that my wife as her life grew closer to the end, she was constantly remembering her mother and father and praising them for the good things that they had given her during her lifetime. No matter how many years you live on once you have lost one of them, you never forget them. It amazes me every time I walk into my fathers home and look on the wall, there is a picture of his mother who passed away early in his adulthood actually a few months prior to me being born, and in one of his bedrooms is a picture of his father.

It is things such as that, that makes me so proud to be his son. I know that they raised us three children the correct way. It shows me that they distilled in us the fact that family is important in anybodies life and that we should cherish each and every moment that we have with them. They instilled in me and my two brothers the fact that we should take responsibility in our life. That we should be proud of who we are, where we come from and what we do and not to let anybody tell us any different. They taught us good morals, correct morals and how to use those morals in our life.

So now that we are coming up on Fathers Day, I think we should all take the time to tell our fathers if they are still around thank you for that and to tell them just exactly how much they mean to us and how much they have meant to us through the years. I know I am going to tell my father that!

My middle brother for years has always told me that our parents are the reason why we are here. If you think about that and what it means, it is so, so true. Take that thought and put it into a broad context and think about things your parents did for you through the years to ensure that you are still here and standing today. Just in case any of our younger generation is reading this, think about the things your parents done for you other than throwing money your way. The younger generation seems to think that nobody is helping them unless they are giving them money. So it is very true, if it wasn’t for our parents, we would not be here today, and if it wasn’t for them, we would not be in the place we are today. No matter if we are successful or unsuccessful in life, the reason why we are still on this earth today is because of our parents. Because our parents gave and taught us the basic tools for surviving. So no matter if you are the richest and most successful person on the face of this earth, or if you are a person living in the gutters and the most unsuccessful person on the face of this earth, you are here because of one reason and that reason is because of your parents.

I want to send out a special Happy Fathers Day to my father and I also want to wish all the other fathers who might be reading this a very happy Fathers Day!!!