As another Father’s Day rolls around on Sunday, June 15, those of us who are lucky enough to be proud dads and grandpas will hopefully gather together with as many of our flock as possible, or sit around the kitchen table and chat on the phone or Skype or whatever with our loved ones who cannot make it for the age old occasion of pampering the papas. Wherever we may meet for the celebration, we will share the precious memories, try to keep up with the grandchildren, and then all sample some of the best delights from mom’s age old recipe book, cooked to perfection by our King of the neighbourhood barbecue circuit.
Throughout our life, on any given day, we have always wondered where is dad today? Likely at work, but often at the golf course, at the bank cursing the ATM machine, on top of the house trying to hook up the dish before the game, under the car watching the oil drip, out with the boys, or at the hardware store bragging to a total stranger about his kids. No matter what age we are, and how busy we might be, we always look forward to a warm welcome from everyone, including the dog, when we arrive at home, as long as we aren’t late, or haven’t missed a pre-planned parental duty appointment. How great it has been over the years, and always should be, to share quality time together with family and friends, and here is a special tribute to dads and grandpas everywhere, who can just go ahead and give themselves a big pat on the back, and then sit back and have a cool one. We will be sending my 95-year-old dad in Victoria a box full of his favourite treats for Father’s Day, which I am sure he will share with Jean.
● A man never stands as tall as when he kneels to help a child.
● Every father should remember that one day his children will follow his example instead of his advice.
● There are three stages of a man’s life: He believes in Santa Claus, he doesn’t believe in Santa Claus, and when he is Santa Claus.
● When a young lad asks his father to help him find the least common denominator in his math problem homework he will quickly reply.....’Don’t tell me that it still hasn’t been found...they were looking for it when I was a kid.’
● Dads, although occasionally gruff or grumpy, have big hands but soft hearts, give really good whisker rubs, will eventually break down and let you use the car or understand your friends or dates, might be late but always make it to the game or the concert, can build anything or fix toys if you ask nicely, and although not on television or in the movies, are their children’s unsung, often shy, heroes on most occasions.
● Once we have achieved grandpa status, we are referred to by the younger generation as ‘old and wrinkled super dads.’
● The greatest gift that fathers can give to their children is to love their mother.
● It doesn’t matter who our father was, it matters who we remember he was.
A tribute to our dad
When we were just a tiny kid
Do you remember when
The times you kissed my bruises
Or cleaned my soiled chin
You scrambled for the balls we hit (short-winded more than not)
Yet every time we’d play a game, you’d praise the ‘outs’ and the ‘hits’ we made
It seems like only yesterday, you wiped away our tears
And late at night when we called your name, you chased away our fears
Though time has changed your handsome grip, your hug will always be the same
Your hair may be now snowy white, your gait is just a little slower now, and thick glasses help your sight
Oh, as sons and daughters we thirst for those precious years gone by
We long to once again be that growing boy or girl, reliving all of those precious memories of growing up with dad
Great nations with some strange habits
● Only in America do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to be back of the store to get their prescriptions while the healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front
● Only in America do people order double cheeseburgers, large fries, and a diet coke
● Only in America do the banks leave both doors open but chain their pens to the counter
● Only in America do we leave our cars worth thousands of dollars in the driveway because we have put a lot of our useless junk in the garage
Whatever the case, this is still the greatest place in the world to live, so just go ahead and have a great week, all of you.