Father's Day: What makes a dad?

[Reprise from 2010]

What Makes a Dad?

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagles in flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
And there was nothing more to add,
He knew his masterpiece was complete,
And He called it – Dad.

Author unknown

Today is a day to to officially celebrate dads. (Did you know that Fathers Day is over one hundred years old? Looking good there, dad!) As we all know, for many this day is hard to celebrate, but today I honour all the dads.

The fathers whose children lost their lives on 9/11; the children who lost their fathers on that day.

Since 9/11, many families have been separated from their dads. Young dads have taken up arms to serve their country, often-times leaving newborns, young ones at home. Many fathers - veterans themselves - have seen their sons, the pride of their hearts, put on the uniform, leave home and go overseas to fight for other families' right to freedom. 

As those of us who love our military and their families know all too well, some of these young fathers, young sons, only return to their loving families to be buried in sacred ground. Those fathers, and those fathers' sons, may be gone from our human sight, but I truly believe they are always with us. 

Just as I wrote on Mother's Day that motherhood is forever so, too, is fatherhood. No geographical, nor human distance can ever break the bond between a father and his child.

My own list of special fathers who are always in my heart is long. It would take a biiiiiiiiig book to acknowledge them here, but they all know how I feel about them, today and every day.

For all the dads out there, who are blessed enough to still be a presence in your childrens' lives: 

Happy Fathers Day