Happy Father's Day

[Geoff Withnell]

So I was having a great Father's Day, In the park with Michele my wife, my daughter, son-in-law and 2 of my grandchildren. Cooking hamburgers and hotdogs on the grill. So I got a nice card from the grandkids, a nice card and present from my daughter. From Michele a card with some very nice (and 'private ) sentiments, and a note that for Father's Day she is taking me to the Celtic Fling in Lebanon PA next weekend. Woo-woo. I love that woman!

Geoff Withnell

[RB51]

What's not to love. Sounds like a perfect Father's Day...picnic in the park with loved ones and presents to boot. Glad you had a good one.

Laurie

[bigdad1]

I have ended my Fathers Day with mixed feelings. My two daughters, one at college in San Francisco and the other at pre-med at Columbia in New York, called me to wish me a happy day. It was of course wonderful to hear from them. But in my heart I really would like to get cards in the mail. Perhaps with some private thoughts and sentiments there for me to read again in a month or two or six. A call on a cell phone is so fleeting and compared to the years I put in with little leagues and soccer and basketball and so many other things it just leaves me wanting more. Is that a selfish thought? I hope not. They are the lights of my life but I guess dear old Dad is easier to just call.
Happy day to the other Fathers out there. The best to you all.

[Woodsman]

I have ended my Fathers Day with mixed feelings. My two daughters, one at college in San Francisco and the other at pre-med at Columbia in New York, called me to wish me a happy day. It was of course wonderful to hear from them. But in my heart I really would like to get cards in the mail. Perhaps with some private thoughts and sentiments there for me to read again in a month or two or six. A call on a cell phone is so fleeting and compared to the years I put in with little leagues and soccer and basketball and so many other things it just leaves me wanting more. Is that a selfish thought? I hope not. They are the lights of my life but I guess dear old Dad is easier to just call.
Happy day to the other Fathers out there. The best to you all.

No not a selfish thought at all. I just called my Dad who is in his 80's to wish him a happy Father's Day because we were late in posting his card. But now after reading your post, I will follow this up with a personal letter to him. As I'm sure others too feel, my Dad was one in a million. Happy Father's Day.

[BoldHighlander]

A happy Father's Day to all.

Today is a little bittersweet, as while I enjoyed a very nice day with my wife & 11 yr old daughter, I have not heard from my 25 yr old son since very early this year. Not sure what I did as I get no response from him

Anyhow, all the best to all the other father's out there

[ForresterModern]

Bigdad,

I know how you feel from both sides of the equation. After highschool I spent 14 very underfinanced years in various educational and training positions away from home before landing my first real paying job, and my father supported me all the way, either financially or psychologically and emotionally. I had an extremely busy week this week at work, literally getting home each night just in time to put my 2 yr old son to bed after eating a late supper, so I did not get a card in the mail. I called yesterday and wished my father a happy father's day, and we talked for a while, he talked with his grandson, but it still left me feeling hollow and incomplete the rest of the day, as if I had let him down, or let myself down in my own expectations of myself.

On the flip side, I have two adult children from my first marriage, from whom I have been estranged for more than 5 long years, due to progressive bitterness by their mother (now dead---not my fault) from divorce a couple years earlier. I put in those years of making sports practices, school events, coaching several of their teams, even sacrificing a part of my career going part time at work so I could devote my designated custodial time to them with no distractions for a couple years. I did not even get an email, card or phone call from either of them, despite having patched things up with my 22 yr old son several months ago. In my case, any recognition of my part in raising them and financing the lives of our family at a 99% rate for the first 18 of their years, and even still at a 50% rate now, any recognition would have been cherished. But no. I can only hope that there may be some belated wishes forthcoming, although my expectations are low.

Still, it was great yesterday to wake up to a tossle haired two year old's grinning face above mine, asking for something to eat at 0630 on Father's day. Works for me.

Happy Father's day to all.

jeff