“Ode to Fathers and Dads”
Father’s Day 2015
By Deborah Church Worley
There are fathers who are tall, there are fathers who are short;
there are fathers who drive tractors, there are fathers who play sports.
There are fathers who have moustaches, there are fathers who have beards;
there are fathers who like to be liked by their kids, while others prefer to be feared!
There are fathers whose work is chemistry, engineering, physics, or math;
there are fathers who like to take showers, while some prefer a bath.
There are fathers who are late sleepers, while some fathers like to rise early;
there are fathers without a single hair on their head, some with hair that’s thick & curly.
There are fathers who wear glasses, there are those who sing off-key;
there are fathers who fight fires, there are fathers who like to read.
There are fathers who tend to drive too fast, and fathers who tend to run late;
there are fathers who like to keep the peace, while some love a lively debate.
There are fathers who like to drink coffee, there are fathers who love a cold beer;
there are fathers who like to look at the stars when the sky is dark and clear.
There are fathers like to spend money, there are fathers who like to save;
there are fathers who live to follow the rules, while some like to misbehave.
I could go on and on, of course–there really are all kinds of fathers!
But I won’t, since the last thing I want to do is to be any kind of a bother!
But before you go, a few thoughts about dads. . . although you may think
there’s no difference;
You may be right, perhaps there’s not. . . but how about this, for instance?
“Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.”
There are dads who play with their kids, no matter how much they have to do;
there are dads who stick by their children, no matter what they put them through.
There are dads who laugh with their kids, and teach them life is not all hard work;
there are dads who work with their kids, showing them responsibility
is not a thing to be shirked.
There are dads who teach their kids respect, for themselves and all others, too,
that each person has an inherent worth, no matter what they do.
There are dads who reach beyond themselves and teach their kids to care by example,
who show by doing what it means to give, that opportunities to share goodness are ample!
There are dads who listen, who take the time to find out what’s on their kids’ minds,
and in so doing, perhaps unaware, they teach them what it is to be kind.
There are dads who wait to give advice until they are actually asked,
who let their kids make their own mistakes, who are still there once the crisis has passed.
There are dads who in so many different ways show their kids they are deeply loved,
‘cause they know in their hearts that their children are gifts
from their Heavenly Father above!
There are all kinds of fathers, there are all kinds of dads;
it’s no easy job–that’s for sure!
But if you’re one or the other (or both!),
I hope in these words you can feel secure:
You are doing the best that you can, and it is enough.
You are important, you are valued, you are loved!
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY!!
