Father’s Day - I love YOU!
Today families all over will be gathering to celebrate Fathers Day. But what about those whose father is no longer with them? Father’s Day can be just another reminder of their loss. On Mother’s Day2002, HelenSue Parrish sent me a Mother’s Day card with a note inside saying.” after the loss of my mother, I send friends who have lost their mother a card on this occasion.”
On Memorial Day of this year, the news showed the following.
“ARLINGTON, Va. -- “I said, I love you.’”
Wearing a replica of his father’s Marine uniform, 6-year-old Christian Jacobs spoke those words as he laid flowers over his dad’s grave at Arlington National Cemetery on Memorial Day. Christian said the uniform reminds him of his father, Sgt. Christopher Jacobs. Sgt. Jacobs died during a training accident back in 2011 when Christian was just eight-monthsold. “They were tracking at night and the driver couldn’t see cause it was so dark and then there was a cliff and then the tank fell and it hit him,” Christian explained.
Christian and his mother, Brittany, travel from their Hertford, North Carolina home to the cemetery each Memorial Day. It’s a family tradition. “It can be emotional but it’s a time to honor and remember him. It’s a time to keep his memory alive,” Brittany said. Though the grave site visits are emotional, Brittany said during this trip, Christian’s mood was bright.
He even got a chance to meet President Trump. “I just asked him, ‘Hey, do you want to go see my daddy’ and he was like ‘sure’, so we just went over there and I showed him the pillow that they made me,” Christian said. Vice President Mike Pence also gave him a challenge coin. “He told him, his dad would be very proud of him,” Brittany said.
Though memories of his father are slim, Christian says he had plans to follow in his footsteps. “I’m gonna be a Marine.”
It was in 1966 President Johnson issued a resolution recognizing the establishment of Father’s Day. He said, “In the homes of our Nation, we look to the fathers to provide the strength and stability which characterize the successful family.
If the father’s responsibilities are many, his rewards arc also great—the love, appreciation, and respect of children and
spouse. It is the desire to acknowledge publicly these feelings we have for the fathers of our Nation that has inspired the Congress to call for the formal observance of Father’s Day.”
The following proclamation by President George W. Bush on June 13, 2003 is my favorite: “Fatherhood is one of life’s most challenging yet fulfilling endeavors. On Father’s Day, we honor America’s fathers and express our appreciation for all they do to help build a strong foundation for our children and our Nation. We also reaffirm our commitment to supporting fathers and encouraging responsible fatherhood in our society.
Fathers have indispensable roles to play in the lives of their children: provider, protector, nurturer, teacher, and friend. Every caring father unconditionally loves his sons and daughters and strives for the best for his children in the future. In seeking to give their children the opportunity to succeed, fathers offer needed strength, guidance, and discipline.
Fathers teach their children many basic things in life: how to read a book, throw a
ball, tie a necktie, ride a bike, or drive a car. More importantly, they also help instill timehonored values in their children, such as hard work, respect, honesty, and good citizenship. Through their words, actions, and sacrifices, fathers play an important role in shaping the characters of their sons and daughters.
The time and attention that a father gives to a child is irreplaceable -- there is no substitute for the involvement and commitment of a responsible father. Not only are fathers essential to the healthy development of children, they also influence the strength of families and the stability of communities.
This Father’s Day, we recognize the many fathers who are heroes and role models for their children, and we encourage more men to fulfill this responsibility by loving their sons and daughters with all their heart and demonstrating this love daily. By working together to encourage America’s fathers, we can strengthen our society and help ensure the well-being of all our children.
On this Father’s Day be sure to tell your dad, “I love you.”