What Father's Day Means To Me


Father's Day means different things to different people. For some it elicits feelings of joy and elation, and for others it brings sadness. My heart has all of those feelings and more on Father's Day.

First and foremost it's a time to celebrate my husband for all of the things that make him an amazing father. There are really way too many reasons to list, but I'll cover a few. He is loving and compassionate. He's fun and driven. He picks them up when they are low. He teaches them life skills and makes them laugh. They know that no matter what life throws at them he will be their rock and their guide.

My husband is the type of father I wish I had grown up with. The kids are his world, and I am so proud of the way he is killing it. I could be given five lifetimes to search and never find a man who could do the job of fatherhood better. Of all of his attributes, this is the one I admire most.

Father's Day also reminds me of a relationship I once had that can never be restored. It was a relationship that was condemned to death by posturing, arrogance, and lies. He was my father by choice, but he abandoned that post long after. I can only remember the happy, wistful memories faintly now. I'm thankful the toxicity ended before that relationship became my undoing.

Lastly, the most recent emotions brought about by Father's Day are by a father I have never known. I'll never see him dance or hear him laugh. I'll never scoff at his corny dad jokes. His life ended too soon, and yet that has immortalized him. His faults and imperfections are blind to me as I never got to meet him.

So, go forth this Father's Day and cherish the dads who deserve it. Thank your husband for the amazing impression he is leaving on your children, cut off poisonous relationships before bitterness sets in, and grab those you love and treat each meeting like it's your last.

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