Happy Father’s Day to Dads Who’ve Passed Away

This is a day we customarily give gifts to men who are our Fathers. But the ones we can’t get gifts for are the dads who’ve passed on. It seems to me that we should take some time out to make sure they are always present in our hearts, not just on “Fathers’ Day”, but on every day. Fore if it weren’t for their guidance and support many of us wouldn’t be the moms and dads we are today. We must always maintain a nurturing way about us for our children’s sake.  It might be difficult and border on the paradox, but we must strive to be strict with a gentle touch. Our children deserve at least that.

What I am talking about here, is that our children have to know what to expect from us in the ways of discipline, wisdom, and love. We must be generous but not overly so. We must treat our wives with the utmost of respect because we love them, and hopefully the children we love will learn to do likewise through our example. Now a lot of what I have written so far might sound a bit “syrupy” by today’s standard, but I happened to be one of the many lucky ones who was raised by a couple from what has been written about as the “Greatest Generation”. My dad, a WWII vet, did his country’s duty while mom kept the home fires burning as it were. They were a wonderful people from a gentler time. I grew up with the understanding that respect and love for family, friends, and community was all but a part of life. I hope this brief composition presents a sense of peace to those who read it. Because, I wrote it with my dad in mind, who’s been gone for nearly 12 years, and I feel as though he’s looking over my shoulder right now. And though many of our dad’s are no longer physically with us, their spirits will live on forever.