Celebrating Father’s Day

I’m getting ready to head out the door for a Father’s Day get together at my sister’s house, but wanted to make sure I posted a quick message before I did.

Happy Father’s Day to all the wonderful fathers out there in the world! A special shout out goes to my friend Patrick O’Hannigan, who on this Father’s Day is praying for his young daughter’s recovery from a serious auto accident he and she were in earlier this week. He’s seen a lot of miracles this week thanks to prayers and well wishes, and you can read more about his and her story here, here, here, and here.

Another special shout out goes to dads who are serving in the military overseas, and who are away from their wives and children, as well as to the dads of our fine men and women serving overseas. Please know that a lot of people ya’ll don’t even know are praying for you.

And last but not least, a very special Happy Dad’s Day to my sweet dad, who is still kickin’ while battling ailments that are associated mostly with getting older and working manual labor most of his life. Dad-o, I love you more than I can express in any post or any greeting card. >:d<

I know we all disagree with most of President Obama’s agenda, but his messages about parenting and – in particular – fatherhood, have always appealed to me. Parade Magazine has published a special Father’s Day message he has written to his two young daughters and to all dads in the world and future dads. Here are a few excerpts:

So we need to step out of our own heads and tune in. We need to turn off the television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what’s going on in their lives.

We need to set limits and expectations. We need to replace that video game with a book and make sure that homework gets done. We need to say to our daughters, Don’t ever let images on TV tell you what you are worth, because I expect you to dream without limit and reach for your goals. We need to tell our sons, Those songs on the radio may glorify violence, but in our house, we find glory in achievement, self-respect, and hard work.

We need to realize that we are our children’s first and best teachers. When we are selfish or inconsiderate, when we mistreat our wives or girlfriends, when we cut corners or fail to control our tempers, our children learn from thatβ€”and it’s no surprise when we see those behaviors in our schools or on our streets.

But it also works the other way around. When we work hard, treat others with respect, spend within our means, and contribute to our communities, those are the lessons our children learn. And that is what so many fathers are doing every dayβ€”coaching soccer and Little League, going to those school assemblies and parent-teacher conferences, scrimping and saving and working that extra shift so their kids can go to college. They are fulfilling their most fundamental duty as fathers: to show their children, by example, the kind of people they want them to become.

Read the rest here.

Catch ya’ll later.

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