A Happy Fathers Day Message

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The tradition of honoring our fathers will soon arrive. I thought it would be appropriate to give tribute by sending out a happy Fathers Day message. I hope you will enjoy it.

Have you ever given thought to how Fathers Day (or Mothers Day for that matter) ever came about? Until now, I sure haven’t. In honor of Fathers Day, I want to bring some attention to how Fathers Day came to be. Here’s a bit of Fathers Day history.

A church in West Virginia held the first event that honored fathers. In July 1908 a sermon was held in memory of the deaths of 362 men who died due to an explosion that occurred at a coal mine. It was a one-time memorial of those men.

In 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd attempted to start a holiday that was equal to Mothers day for men who were parents. She lobbied every organization, churches, stores and all the government officials she could and finally was able to make it happen.


I note that back then, Fathers Day did not hold the same enthusiasm as Mothers Day did. The idea floated around those fathers didn’t have the same gushy emotions that mothers do.

The first time we observed Fathers Day was on June 19, 1910, and was in Washington State. Astonishingly, it was not until 1972 that President Woodrow Wilson declared that day a national holiday in the United States. That was 58 years after Mothers Day became a national holiday! What took them so long to give fathers their pedestal?

Slowly, but surely Fathers Day began catching on, and today we honor fathers on the third Sunday in June of every year! In Europe and Latin America, citizens in those countries honor fathers on St. Joseph Day. That is a traditional Catholic holiday and falls on March 19th.


How Do the Fathers Feel?

In the beginning, many men didn’t like the Fathers Day holiday because there were too many sentimental attributes attached to the day. Men felt that it was an effort to domesticate or to take some of their masculinity away from them.

Fathers didn’t want all the flowers and the gifts because it was too feminine for them. Also, they thought that this kind of holiday was too commercialized and only a ploy used for businesses to sell more merchandise. Many times, the father was the person to have to pay for it all!


I believe that over time, men have come to appreciate their special day and they look forward to it. They think they are getting their due because fathers do just as much as mothers do. Society has changed over the years!

To Have or Not Have Fathers Day

History tells us that in the 1920s and 1930s there was an effort to get rid of Mothers and Fathers Days completely! Instead, they considered making it a combined holiday called Parents Day. The idea behind that was both parents are adored and respected by their children, and the parents should be celebrated and honored at the same time.

Ironically, the Great Depression stopped all of that. Many retailers were working hard to get back in the black. They went all out to make Fathers day a money-making day by marketing merchandise targeted specifically for men.

World War II started and the businesses made the case that Fathers Day was a way to support and honor the troops. It worked so well that by the time the war ended Fathers Day had become a national tradition, even though it was not yet a national holiday.


Richard Nixon signed a proclamation in 1972 finally recognizing Fathers Day as an official holiday, but not a federal holiday. In today’s environment, consumers spend over a billion dollars each year on Father Day gifts for our beloved fathers and grandfathers.

Fathers are a Blessing

Today, Fathers Day is just as crucial as Mothers Day. We have come to realize that single parent fathers head many families and we honor them just as much as entire family households with the father at the helm.

In the U.S. there are as many as 70 million fathers if not more. We enjoy celebrating the contributions and sacrifices that our fathers and father-like figures have made in our lives. We make an individual effort for our fathers to be happy on Father’s Day.

There are many different traditions regarding how people celebrate this day, and it all depends on the families. It could be just a simple phone call to say “I love you, Dad” or a grand party of the entire family with all the Father Day gifts that we bestow on them.


Then, there are those like me, whose fathers are no longer physically with us. Although we have that moment of sadness of being without them on Father’s Day, we remember all the happy times we shared with them and know that they are never far from us because we hold them in our hearts.

A Fond Memory

I remember when my Dad taught me how to drive. He had this unusual method. We lived in the county, and I guess there was room for this. The first time out he put me in the driver’s seat and then he got out and told me to drive!

I was as scared as a deer in headlights! My father kept yelling at me to go, so I did. Very slowly I was driving down this very long lane pass all our neighbors’ homes. I was able to turn the car around and drive back. Dad told me to keep doing that, and I did.

After several trips around I couldn’t believe how much confidence I had built up. On my last trip around I drove right into a neighbor’s hedges and flower bed! Wouldn’t you know that it had to be the meanest neighbor we had! She complained about everything.

My neighbor ran out of her house yelling and screaming at me and then I saw my father in the rearview mirror jogging down the driveway to the car. Between the neighbor yelling at me and seeing my father running at me, I was scared out of my wits.


My father opened the door, told me to move over and then turned the car around and drove back home.

My Dad never mentioned that day ever again, and I never got in trouble either. When I think about that day, it reminds me of just how much my father loved me and how much I still love him.

Daddy taught me how never to be afraid of anyone, not even him because he would never do anything to hurt me and he would never let anyone else bother me. He taught me how to be tough, loving, and how to be independent. He will always be with me.

I love you, Daddy. Happy Father’s Day!

Count Your Blessings

If your Dad is with you, continue to count your blessings. You are blessed to have a father who loves you and gives you those great hugs. If not, still count your blessings and hold on to the memorable moments you had with your fathers.


Give honor to your dads not just on Father’s Day, but every day. Let him feel your love 365 days not only on one day out of the year.

Conclusion

Well, that ends a happy Fathers Day message. However, I want to share one more thought. Today, the term family comes wrapped in a lot of different packages. So, I understand that there are some men out there who have stepped into a father’s position regardless of the natural birthrights. Therefore, I applaud you! My wishes for a happy father’s day are extended to all of you as well.

I do hope that you enjoyed the Fathers Day history. It’s good to learn something new each day.


Happy Fathers Day to all the fathers here as well as those who are filling the shoes of a father!

I would appreciate it if you could share a memorable moment you shared with your Dad.

Thanks for sharing your time with me.

Cheers,

Verna

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Recent Comments

5

Thank you for sharing the history of Father's Day it was very informative and it is a beautiful sentiment for Fathers everywhere. We have to celebrate our Mothers and Fathers everywhere because they are the glue to the family unit.

Thank you. I know I'm a little bit early, but I'm so bad with dates I thought I would get it done while it was on my mind! LOL!

Glad you enjoyed it.

You are very welcome and so it doesn't matter that it is early it is a good thing so we don't forget to celebrate our Fathers. I believe that you did the right thing to do a tribute to the Fathers now instead of waiting.

Thank you for taking the time to read it.

You are very welcome

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