"To her the name of father was another name for love."
Fanny Fern
Father's Day. I think Father's Day is all too often ridiculously underrated. Maybe it's because it follows Mother's Day - a day where mothers are celebrated and revered and showered with gifts and flowers and chocolate and praise (and rightly so, of course) - that it kind of feels like an afterthought. I don't know why, but it seems like Father's Day is treated as less important than Mother's Day - but are fathers any less important than our "angel mothers"...are they any less deserving of appreciation? Of course not! But, as I think about it, the fact that Father's Day is kind of an afterthought kind of fits who fathers are. Fathers do not expect recognition or appreciation for being fathers - it's just who they are. They are content, rather, to work hard with little, if any, acknowledgment - their reward the happiness of those they love. Or maybe that's just my dad.
I am fortunate to have some wonderful fathers in my life. I could go on forever about how super-awesome my dad is and how ridiculously blessed I am to have him, but I want to finish this post at some point today, so I have decided to just list a few things I have learned from my dad - 5 lessons that I am thankful for on this Father's Day.
ANY JOB WORTH DOING IS WORTH DOING RIGHT
My dad taught me this from a very young age. My dad has an incredible work ethic - it is one of the things I admire most about him and hope to emulate. When he does any job, he does it right. And when I say any job, I mean ANY job. He brings this same ethic to anything he does - be it his job at work, doing the dishes, ironing clothes, making the bed, playing a game, packing a moving van, or building a snow fort. If dad is doing it, you can trust that it will be done right - he never does anything half-way. If he does the dishes, not only are they spotless, but the sink is scoured and the counters are sparkling. If he is building a snow fort, it's not just a pile of snow haphazardly mushed together - it will be made of perfectly fashioned blocks of snow, packed tight together and then sprayed with water to make an impenetrable ice fortress. My dad taught me to take pride in what I do and to do it right.
JUST BECAUSE YOU GROW UP DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO GROW OLD
I have always had a fear of growing up - I never liked the idea. My wish was the same as my hero, Peter Pan - I wish we'd never have to grow up. I always wanted to be able to fly off to Neverland and stay 8 years old forever. Unfortunately, that's not how life works. We all have to grow up. And that's how it should be. We grow up and take on responsibilities and learn how to take care of ourselves and others - and that's good. But one thing my dad taught me is that growing up doesn't have to mean growing old. He taught me that you are only as old as you are inside. Yes, you have to grow up and get a job and pay bills and do grown up things and behave like a grown up when necessary. But, you never have to lose the child inside. My dad is a grown up - he provides for his family, is respected by everyone and makes million dollar decisions at work. But, he has not grown old. He is a total kid at heart. His body has gotten older and his responsibilities greater, but inside he is still the sweet, fun-loving, good-hearted little boy he's been since long before I knew him. Because of my dad, I know that even though I have to be part of the grown-up world, I don't have to lose the carefree innocence of the little girl I used to be. She will always be who I am and that's okay. I can be a respectable adult without giving up the essence of who I am - the little child inside.
FATHER KNOWS BEST
My dad knows everything. Okay, maybe he doesn't know everything, but he knows just about everything. Seriously, any time I am in a jam or need advice or have a question or need something fixed - I can call my dad and, inevitably, he will know what to do. It's the same with all my siblings. Any time we are talking and don't know the answer to something - anything - we just say "Let's call Dad." I don't know how he knows everything, but he does. I wish I knew his secret.
Mark Twain once said: "When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years." It's true - it's amazing how much dads know, and it's too bad it sometimes takes us so long to figure it out. Many mistakes and hard lessons could be avoided if we'd just listen to Dad in the first place.
Someday I may be proven wrong, I suppose; but, for now, I am going to trust that Father truly does know best. He hasn't led me wrong so far.
FAMILY FIRST
My dad knows what is most important. Family. My dad lives for his family. He never, ever puts himself first. Everything he does is for us. He has always worked harder than anyone I know to make sure we are taken care of. My dad was in the military and would often be gone from us for weeks or months at a time. I believe this was harder on him than it was on us (not that it was fun for us - but at least we had each other). When he was gone, he always made sure to write us letters. These letters are treasures I keep - written with love in my dad's beautiful handwriting - reassuring me that he loved me and was thinking about us every day. My dad never really had any good father figure in his own life as he was growing up - so I never cease to be amazed at what an incredible father he is. I guess he decided that he would make sure we had what he never did. To this day, Dad's greatest joys come from us - his family. No matter how much he has been hurt by those he loves - he never stops loving us and he never gives up on us. I love watching Dad watch us. The happiest I ever see my Dad is when all of us kids are hanging out together, reminiscing and laughing. Sometimes I look over at Dad and just watch him watching us - nothing makes him happier than seeing us happy. My dad, through his words and through his example, has taught us all what is most important.
ALWAYS HONOR THE PRIESTHOOD
My dad has always honored his Priesthood. I have been very fortunate to grow up in a home where I always knew I was safe and I could always count on my dad to lead us with the proper authority. There has never been a time when I have asked for a blessing that my dad has not been able to give me one. These blessings are always exactly what I need and have comforted me, calmed me and guided me throughout my life. Dad rarely remembers what he says and quite often has no idea what questions are on my mind - but the answers always come, and it's always exactly what I need. Because he honors his Priesthood, I have learned to honor it, as well. For this I am forever grateful.
My relationship with my Heavenly Father is one of the most important things in my life. And it's one more thing for which I am grateful to my dad. I have never had a problem understanding the love of my Heavenly Father - a love that expects the best from me, but accepts and loves me even in my weakness; a love that sees me as who I can become, rather than who I am. I have never had a problem developing a relationship with my Heavenly Father and I owe that in large part to the relationship I have with my earthly father. He taught me to love, respect and trust my Heavenly Father, which is an easy and natural extension of the love, respect and trust I have for him. So, thanks, Dad. You will always be my hero. I am one lucky girl.
So, to all the fathers I love....Happy Father's Day!
"Fathers, yours is an eternal calling from which you are never released....a father's calling is eternal, and its importance transcends time. It is a calling for both time and eternity."
Ezra Taft Benson
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