a day to celebrate dads.

My dad and I have never had the best relationship.  In some ways we are exactly alike and in others we are exactly opposite which has caused a lot of moments of head butting and misunderstandings and frustrations and (in my case) tears throughout my lifetime. That said, my dad is a wonderful person. He is strong and hard working, committed and humble. He has been a constant example of faith and integrity, traits that have shaped many of the choices I have made and the things I have done in my life.  He has always provided for our family, been supportive, and done his best to see that we are happy and successful.

I've always envied my friends who are daddy's girls, those who have their dads wrapped around their little fingers and can tell their dads anything. I don't know that I'll ever have that kind of relationship with mine but a little maturity (on my end) and a few years of physical separation have worked miracles in helping us to learn to appreciate our differences in communicating and in our emotional needs and has brought us closer to that ideal.

So, today I give a shout out to my constant supporter, provider and example. Thanks for all you have done for me in helping me to become the person I am today, for giving me a high standard to live up to and a measure for the kind of man I'd like to marry some day. I love you!

And thanks to all the men in my life who have filled fatherly roles in ways large and small and those who will continue to do so as time goes by.

These last two thoughts aren't mine but express how I feel about the important role of fathers.

"...a father's calling is eternal, and its importance transcends time."
Ezra Taft Benson

"God bless you, dear fathers. May He bless you with wisdom and judgment, with understanding, with self-discipline and self-control, with faith and kindness and love. And may He bless the sons and daughters who have come into your homes, that yours may be a fortifying, strengthening, guiding hand as they walk the treacherous path of life. As the years pass—and they will pass ever so quickly—may you know that “peace … which passeth all understanding” (Philip. 4:7) as you look upon your sons and daughters, who likewise have known that sacred and wonderful peace."

Gordon B Hinckley

Happy Father's Day to all the fathers out there. All the ties, power tools and BBQ equipment in the world can't express how much you are needed and appreciated!