Celebrating Fathers This Weekend *Open Thread*

Sunday is Father’s Day, a day we pay tribute to the fathers in our lives, blood or chosen, depending on our respective relationships. It is a day to take a moment and reflect upon the impact our fathers have had in our lives, and if they are still with us, to let them know we appreciate all they have done for us.

I have mentioned before that in my early days, my relationship with my dad was not the greatest. For starters, my dad was definitely of the generation that children “should be seen and not heard.” That was SO not me. I was, in short, a handful. That’s just the truth of the matter.  (That’s me to the left of my dad.)

But even still, there is no doubt the impact my father had on my life, from having our family pray together, going to church together, teaching me to play the piano and encouraging my singing, especially in choir, emphasizing the importance of education, and more, are all ways in which my dad most definitely impacted my life.

Thankfully, in my later years, I was able to see my father as a person in his own right, as someone with his own hopes, dreams, and regrets. And I was able to thank him for the many gifts he gave me during my life which helped make me the person I am today. I am grateful for him, for all I learned from him, and hope that my dad knows how much I miss him still.

No doubt many of us have learned a lot from our dads in one way or another. Along those lines, Next Avenue had a great post which was chock full of people sharing what they learned from their dads over the years. Here are some of those things:

[…]

Always keep your sense of humor. It will take you through almost anything.”

– Beck Frazier

“‘Don’t sweat the small stuff,’ was something I recall my father saying to me. The fact that he escaped from a WWII Nazi prison camp and came back to the states able to work and raise a family after that… well, that did tend to put things in perspective.”

– Jean Holland

“Besides teaching me how to fish, which gave me a lifetime of enjoyment, he taught me that’s it called FISHING, not catching. Patience. Enjoy what you’re doing now.”

– Sharon Dodson

A sense of humor , patience, and “not sweating the small stuff,” are all good things to try and teach the next generation. (And WOW that the latter came from someone who escaped a Nazi prison camp!)

Here are a few more:

[…]

“The best thing I learned from my dad was life doesn’t owe you a living.”

– Brian Cole

“I can best sum up what my dad taught in a quote: ‘The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are: Hard work, Stick-to-itiveness, and Common sense.’ – Thomas A. Edison. These essentials were major factors in my professional and personal life, for which I am forever grateful.”

– F. Hoffman

[…]

“‘It is what you learn after you know it all that counts.’ Said to me on the eve of my graduation from law school. Needed to hear it and have learned he was oh so right. Again.”

– Susan Connolly

My father also had an excellent work ethic. Not only did he hold down a 9 – 5 job as a Comptroller at a realty and mortgage company, but he was also the choir director and organist at every church we attended. During my college years, I worked with my dad in the Accounting office and saw first hand how hard he worked, and how well he treated those who worked for him. Good lessons all.

And to that point, these lessons imparted on how to treat people:

[…]

“Treat everyone with respect; especially those that others may think are unimportant. Whether they are the people that clean the floor or do the lowest level job in the building. It will make a difference in their lives and yours. My dad had an appliance business in our small town and he knew the only way some people could afford to have a washer, dryer, refrigerator, etc. was to finance it himself and let them pay it out; sometimes paying only $5 a week. I worked for him a bit after high school and he made sure I treated each customer equally well. After he passed, many people came by to share how well he treated them over the years. I hope when I pass, I will be remembered by people as one who treated them kindly and with respect.”

– Brenda Beeler

“Even as a child I remember Dad saying that the most important thing I could do for others is to remember their names. He said when you call a person by name it makes them feel that he or she matters. When I became a teacher, I used the school yearbook to learn the names of my new students before the first day of school. As the students entered the classroom I called each one by name. The looks on their faces were priceless. I won them over at that moment!”

– Patricia Gable

[…] (Click here to read the rest.)

There are more excellent remembrances and life lessons folks recounted and you can click the link above to read more.

But I bet many of you have some lessons your own fathers imparted to you over the years that inform you still. If you are willing to share, I guarantee you we would all enjoy hearing about your fathers. So, let’s hear it!

And speaking of hearing it, I have a Father’s Day song to share with you all. It’s a sweet little piece:

That sure sounds like a father to me…

To all the fathers out there, I wish you a very Happy Father’s Day.  One day is not enough to acknowledge all that a father does, of course, but I hope it is a special one in which all the fathers out there feel special and appreciated.

This is the Weekend Open Thread.

 

 

Tags: Father's Day