We celebrated Father’s Day today, and since I became a dad 8 years ago, the day has obviously taken on new meaning for me. However this year was very special, and not just because I got to spend it with my 3 kids. This year was special because my dad was here to celebrate Father’s Day with us.
And while I was not able to see my Pop today, I gotta tell you that the early morning phone call I made on the way to church this morning was probably one of the most meaningful Father’s Day calls I’ve made. It was just a blessing to make the call and hear my dad’s voice on the other end of the line.
At church today, my pastor shared about how Father’s Day came to be, and some of the traditions that have sprang up around it. The one that grabbed my attention was the wearing of roses on Father’s Day. In times past, one would wear a red rose as an indication that their father was still living, and a white rose if he had passed on.
The fact that I could have (were I prone to such things) been wearing a red rose today was not lost on me at all. The miracle of what God did last December for my dad, and the fact that I could hear his voice and have a conversation with him today…these things were not lost on me.
This afternoon as I played with my kids and watched them romp around my in-laws place, I was reminded of the shoes I have to fill. The shoes of a great dad that loved me far more than I ever realized. The shoes of a father that I’m so blessed to have. The shoes that I can never fill adequately, but I will certainly try, following in his example.
So to all you dads out there, Happy Father’s Day. And to my dad…I love you more than I can say. So thankful I got to hear your voice on the other end of the line today.
The Wading Pool 