Happy Father’s Day to all the dads

Dear Readers: Happy Fathers Day! In this poem, William Wordsworth celebrates being able to see the world through his son’s eyes. Anecdote for Fathers

I have a boy of five years old;

His face is fair and fresh to see;

His limbs are cast in beauty’s mould, And dearly he loves me.

One morn we strolled on our dry walk, Our quiet home all full in view,

And held such intermitted talk

As we are wont to do.

My thoughts on former pleasures ran;

I thought of Kilve’s delightful shore, Our pleasant home when spring began,

A long, long year before.

A day it was when I could bear

Some fond regrets to entertain;

With so much happiness to spare,

I could not feel a pain.

The green earth echoed to the feet

Of lambs that bounded through the glade, From shade to sunshine, and as fleet From sunshine back to shade.

Birds warbled round me — and each trace of inward sadness had its charm; Kilve, thought I, was a favoured place, And so is Liswyn farm.

My boy beside me tripped, so slim

And graceful in his rustic dress!

And, as we talked, I questioned him,

In very idleness.

Dear Annie: I am writing to tell you my story about adopting a child and hope it will help others. Back in the 1980s, my wife and I were considered an “infertile couple.” So, with much thought, we decided to adopt. Adoption was a very long and time-consuming process. One of the requirements was to write a brief history of how you grew up. I wrote about playing catch with my dad in the weeds in the backfields and how he took the family on vacations almost every year.

When we submitted our stories, our caseworker went through them to redact any identifying information. Those stories, along with other information, were part of our file. Our files were given to the birthmothers. They would go through the stack of files to make their choice of parents for their child. We got the call only two weeks later. A baby boy! Our caseworker explained that birthmothers aren’t looking for mothers; they are looking for fathers. They look for adoptive fathers who had a good relationship with their fathers. I’ve never forgotten that and tried to spend as much time with him and my other sons as I could. Forever Grateful Dad

Dear Forever Grateful Dad: Thank you for your heartwarming letter. Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.

Send your questions for Annie Lane to dearannie@ creators.com. To find out more about Annie Lane and read features by other Creators Syndicate columnists and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.