Father’s Day

I became a little curious and did a little research. Father’s Day actually started because of a young 16-year-old girl named Sonora Louise Smart Dodd. Her father was a widow and she wanted to celebrate him so she leaped in action. She petitioned for Father’s Day to become a national holiday. Although Mother’s Day became an official holiday in 1914, it wasn’t until 1972 that Father’s Day was recognized as a national holiday.

As I began to reflect on this day, I began to think about how our parents shape us. Especially, our fathers. My father was a Vietnam veteran and unfortunately, I did not get to know him until I was an adult because of the many challenges he faced as a result of being in the war. Although my father could not really be there for me in a way that I desired, I am still grateful for the short time that I spent with him as an adult. I had the opportunity to learn from family members about the great man that he was before the Vietnam War and know that if circumstances were different, he would have been a part of my life as a young child. The moments that I got to talk to him on the phone or see him in person are priceless. I will forever be grateful. One thing that I have learned from my experience growing up without my father on earth, is that God our Father in heaven is everything we need Him to be and He can fill in those missing pieces. So, whether or not your father was in your life, this is still a day of celebration. There are many positive father figures in our lives and we must remember to show appreciation for all that they do. On this day, I am grateful and I salute my father for serving this country and being an inspiration to me for the life that he lived.