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COLUMN: Our fathers should be our best friends forever

Celebrating Father’s Day in this week’s Ponoka News Hammertime column.
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Father’s Day for our family will be a little more solemn this year as we head off to Vancouver Island for the memorial of our father, husband, grandpa, and best friend Michael Rainone Sr., who passed away in November 2016 at the age of 97.

As we fondly share the countless photos and memories of his active life in Ponoka and later retirement in Victoria we will also celebrate the latest delightful blessings of several little grand-children and nieces and nephews, which of course is what the ongoing joys of glorious family life is all about for all of us.

As everyone gathers together on Sunday, June 18 to pamper and toast their favourite dads, husbands, and grad-dads in their own special fun ways, it is always so great to also look back over the past year to share all the successes, the challenges, and the very best occasions that each and every little family will have the pleasure of celebrating together.

Whether your party for the ‘big guy’ is at the back-yard barbecue, on the golf course, at the lake, or whereever, here is the Hammer’s poetic and fun tribute to fathers of all ages, sizes, shapes, and most unique personalities, who are all blessed with big, occasionally grumpy, but mostly loving hearts and can give the most amazing hugs.

A little fun just for Dads and grandpas

Even through the test of time is full of joys and some tough challenges along the way, there is nothing greater than becoming a very proud Dad and then later slowly easing into a patient Grampa, both watching over our own ‘little brood’ as they grow and progress before our eyes.

As we browse through the old photo albums and cherished memorabilia from our first baby shoes and ball gloves to their grad pictures and first born we should all proudly realize that we have all come a long way together and must always strive to keep it ‘ALL IN THE FAMILY.’

• Roses are red, violets are blue, and even though you have selective hearing, we still love you.

• Happy Father’s Day…you are the tops and your list of good traits never stops.

You’re smart and you’re strong and you are always there to fix a bike or change a spare.

You are always good for lots of laughs and grins and yucks, so now could I please have twenty bucks?

• Dearest Dad: On Father’s Day we don’t make you breakfast in bed, our greeting cards hardly get read, we don’t give flowers or pies, and you are drowning in ties. You’ll likely hit the golf course alone instead, and but then on Sunday you will break out the grill, our family’s thrill, but if the burgers get burnt and we were still hungry, we turned to the steakhouse, where you will always foot the bill.

• We got our Dad a GPS for Father’s Day and now someone else other than mom can tell him where to go.

• Mine and all other sibling’s favourite time of the day then and now is when Dad comes home from being away, and we were so excited when we ran to the door, socks sliding on the floor and yelling ‘Daddy’s home.’ and ready to play. Whether climbing on top of your back or getting thrown through the air like flapjacks, your body and limbs were our own jungle gym and there was no playground better than that. Maybe you can’t pick us up anymore or play baseball without getting sore, and even though you are losing your hair and there are wrinkles everywhere, we still love you even more than before.

• By the time a man realizes that may-be his father was all right, he usually has a son that thinks he’s wrong. A father is a banker provided by nature, but a truly rich man is one whose children run into his arms when his hands are empty. If we can’t all get together on Father’s Day just pick up the phone, the iPad, or whatever and make sure to get that loving ‘family connection’ going up close and personal no matter how far we may be apart.

Have a great week, all of you.