Every third Sunday in June, we honor fatherhood nationally by celebrating Father’s Day. Did you ever wonder how it started? Well, I did and discovered that it was started by a woman. Sonora Smart Dodd was from Spokane, Washington, and was one of six children raised by a widower. She went to local churches, the YMCA, store owners and government officials to gain support for an official day equivalent to Mother’s Day for male parents.1 Washington celebrated the nations first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910 and while it was a nationwide observance in 1966, it did not become a permanent national holiday until 1972.
For many of us, this is a joyful day honoring our fathers and thanking them for all they’ve done for us. For others, this is a day of filled with some sadness, remembering the father that is no longer here with us. For me, the day was filled with a mixture of emotions. It was a hard day, and sad, missing my father who has been gone for two and a half years. But it was also a day full of joy celebrating my husband, who is an amazing, loving, and caring father. For some of us, this day is really difficult because either we did not have a father that was present in our lives or we didn’t have a good relationship with him.
The thing we often forget is that Father’s Day is not just about our biological fathers; it’s about the men who played an important role in our lives. We honor grandfathers, uncles, pastors, role models, mentors and anyone else who loved us. Think back over your life. Who are the father figures or spiritual fathers in your life who helped to shape you? My father often talked about a man I can’t remember, who he called his “godfather”. This was a man who believed in my father and helped him when he was a young struggling business owner. He was always there when he needed him.
It’s important that we take time to let our fathers and father figures know how much they mean to us, not just on Father’s Day but every day we can. If my father were still here, I would thank him for his love, his sacrifices to ensure a better life for our family, and for being a great role model. Here are a few ways you can honor them beyond Father’s Day.
- Send them a card, or text and tell them how much they mean to you.
- Spend time with them and share the difference they’ve made in your life.
- Pray with them and for them.
God blessed me with an awesome father who I was incredibly proud to call my father. When I was asked early in my career who I most admired or wanted to be like, I said my father. It is said that we imitate those we love, and a lot of who I am I owe to him. He showed me what leadership looks like, the importance of hard work, to be courageous and take risks, to be kind and loving, and most of all to laugh. I admired his ability to talk to anyone and his great gift for storytelling. What leadership traits have your father figures given to you?
Reflection:
- Who is one man – father, grandfather, pastor, boss, mentor who made an impact on your life?
- What character trait do you or did you most admire about this man?
- What is one thing you can choose to do differently as a tribute to all that this man gave to you?
- What have you learned about leadership from him that you can pass on to others?
But the thing that I’m most thankful for is that while I really miss my father, I have a heavenly Father who loves me and is always there for me. What a gift! He tells us, “I will be a Father to you, and you will be my sons and daughters, says the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:18). It’s such a comfort to know He loves me, and I can talk to Him and spend time with Him whenever I want. If you don’t know Him, you can. He’s your Father too. And guess what, He wants to spend time with you!
1 https://www.history.com/articles/fathers-day
