This year, I join the many people who will celebrate the
first Father’s Day without their father. When my father passed away a month ago,
just a few days shy of Mother’s Day, you don’t really think about their absence
during the time your grief is brand new and fresh. Today, I am not certain if I
feel sadness or a void that will never be filled, but I do sense an aloofness
of thought at the moment. It’s a thought that I know is a reality and don’t
dispel, but I think my thought process is reactivating memories of a time that
once was.
Losing your parents almost takes you back to a mental position
where you were, when you were just getting out in the world on your own. It sort
of feels like you are learning to fly all over again. Yet, this time around,
the flight is not foreign, but a continuation of a journey. It’s sort of like a
layover when you are traveling by airplane.
Gone, but not forgotten takes on a completely different
meaning. Yet, we begin new memories, although these cannot serve as a replacement
memory of those past experiences. I implore all fathers, even those who lack
the type of parenting skills that kids need nowadays, to step up to the plate
and help our young people become valuable additions and contributors to
society. Mothers of course, are
extremely important, especially where that nurturing spirit and support comes
into play with her children. However, some fathers don’t realize what a vital role
they play in the strength and bonding of his family. Fathers are supposed to
compliment mothers and vice versa, even if a divorce is a part of the equation.
So on this beautiful Father’s Day, I want to wish all of
the fathers, as well as mothers who had to step in for an absentee father, to
enjoy and celebrate this day! For those fathers who are away from their
children, perhaps due to military deployment, we pray for your safe and speedy
return to your family.
Happy Father’s Day!
