It’s a quiet Father’s Day here on the farm.
We had a hearty breakfast and offered cards and kisses.
You see, my kids have been given the gift of an engaged father. Cards couldn’t quite communicate the sentiment properly. When his life changed this past year, he became even more involved in their lives. He was always the dad who took them fishing and taught them how to ride horses, but now he is also the dad who does homework every night and coaches baseball and teaches them how to build tables and shows them how swim relays work.
Yesterday, we took the boat out on the bayou. He hollered for us to hang on to our hats and sped through the water while being peppered with questions and pointing out the birds which sprung out of the marsh.
Fathers don’t rest much out here at the farm. Even though we served him breakfast, he quickly had a four wheeler weighted down by three six year olds as soon as he finished eating, and he had already taken them out for an early morning fishing expedition.
He is a great dad. And he is absolutely adored by his three chips-off-the-old-block.
As the troops filed pell mell out the door, I couldn’t help but think of all the fathers I know.
I remember standing in the aisle looking at cards for my father and father-in-law and husband and thinking how many sentiments were missing.
There are so many fathers quiet on this day.
Let me say thank you to the fathers who are chasing a runaway child. You are loved and you are doing your best.
Let me say how brave you are and how much we are praying for you to the fathers spending late nights in mental hospitals and cancer wards and funeral homes.
Many of us remember those who have lost fathers and grandfathers and surrogate fathers and how they struggle on this day.
But Hallmark and our general citizenry forgets the fathers who have lost a child. Either to death or to depression or to drugs or to disillusionment.
There are men who so want to be a dad and they haven’t been able to become one. There are dads who are trying but can’t seem to connect no matter what they try.
They aren’t getting big breakfasts and hugs on this morning.
To each of those dads and dads-to-be struggling, let me acknowledge you and thank you for who are.
And to my amazing husband, let me tell you what a killer job you are doing. I know it is hard. We are so fortunate to have you in our lives. And to my father and father-in-law, thank you for supporting our family and cheering us on. We love you.
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