Happy Father's Day!

Fables, stories, tales and myths,
and even the oldest legends,
tell of a strong faithful man,
who held the whole world in his hands.
Able, funny, cool and kind,
a man unlike any other,
his will moves the mountains high,
and his smile brings the sun to shine.
Truthful, trusting, brave and bold,
a man to rise above all else,
his love beats that of others,
his strength of mind saves those in doubt.
Honest, sincere, strong and warm,
he is a cut above the rest,
his thoughts lead the nations first,
his actions make the world seem best.
Eager, happy, nice and true,
he'll be a wall to all things bad,
his hope is a ray of light,
his judgment has made things alright.
Rare to find is such a man,
I simply call him my dad.

Legendary Father by Broken in love, a 17 year old girl from the UK. I found her poetry on www.poems-and-quotes.com

Truth be told, I never liked Father's Day too much. I never knew my own father. My memories of him are stories told by others and old photographs. As I mentioned before in earlier posts, my mother raised us alone. My father was killed in a car accident when I three. I always felt the absence of my father the most on Father's Day. There was no father to make cards for with all the other kids in primary or at school, no one to gaze into the eyes of as songs about fathers were sung on Sunday at church, no special meal prepared, and no gifts to be given.
My mother did the best she could. My primary teachers and others at church, our extended family, were always mindful of our situation and very kind and understanding. My grandpa was my "fill in" dad, and he got lots of handmade cards and treats on Father's Day. My Uncle Kenneth baptized me, my brother witnessed my marriage in the Bountiful Temple, my home teacher gave me priesthood blessings, and various members of our ward took me to Daddy/Daughter dances and other events that required a father. It is no wonder that I never cared for Father's Day.
They say hind sight is 20/20. I believe that is true. You would have never convinced me as a young child, or a teenager, that growing up without a father would prove to be a strength to me, but that is exactly what happened. Here's why; I decided that I would do everything in my control to make sure my kids grew up with a father, a good father. So, while girls around me were experimenting with boys, I wasn't. I didn't want to take the chance of having a baby without a father who was excited about, prepared to, and capable of being a father. I didn't want history to repeat itself. I know that there are things I can't control, like car accidents, but I vowed to control all that I could.
Now, Father's Day is an exciting event at my home. My kids have all that I wanted as a kid. No, I am not talking about more Barbies, money, nicer clothes, a bigger house-how about just a house, I grew up in a single-wide trailer, bigger Christmases or anything like that, though as a child I am sure I would have listed many of those things. What I really wanted was a dad. It is the fulfillment of a dream of mine to have a husband who is such a wonderful father.
We are not the perfect, ideal family. We struggle and learn together, but it brings a smile to my face and peace to my soul to see my kids drawing cards that say Happy Father's Day because I know that on the other end of that card is a Daddy to hug, kiss, and to receive their little offerings. They have memories of time spent playing, loving, learning, and growing together. We hope to be blessed with many more years of great memories. Our Dad leads, guides, blesses, protects, and reminds us that no matter what happens, we will always be together forever. We love our Dad.
Part of what makes our dad, Bill, great is his dad, Chuck. He is the only grandpa my kids will ever know. I couldn't ask for a better man for the job. He is kind, patient, fun, and a great example. I have great respect for him. I can't even count how many times Bill and I have been in the midst of making some decision that Bill has said, "I want to ask my dad about that. I want to see what he thinks." Grandpa is a wise man. It is because Bill's Dad, and Mom too, recognized the truth, joined the church, raised Bill with good morals, principles, and values that has made him into the great man, husband and father that he is today. We get to reap the rewards of their years of hard work. The apples doesn't fall far from the tree; thank heavens for that. What a great patriarch of the Dermody family. We love you, Grandpa!
(In photo: Bill's parents, Chuck and Barbara, with our three kids.)