Father’s Day, 3rd Sunday in June. The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909. Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910.

In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father has died.

This page is dedicated to Sonya’s Father, Jess and David’s father, Glennis (January 16, 1923 - July 26, 1973)

Our dad, father of six, grew up on a small farm in southwest Georgia. When he was just a boy, he would plow the fields using Frank, the mule. Through the years, our dad always wanted to go back to the farm. Recently he has had the pleasure of doing just that! Poor Frank, the mule is not around any longer, but Dad has Big Red, a tractor. The photo displayed here is of our father and Frank, the mule. The picture below is of my husband's father, Glennis. These photos are in honor of our fathers, Jess and Glennis.

Glennis Marvel
January 16, 1923 - July 26, 1973

When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, "What kind of father is that? If you’re going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won’t be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping."

And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?"

And when God made a father’s hands, they were large and sinewy.

And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do You know what You’re doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can’t manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats."

God smiled and said, "I know, but they’re large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day…yet small enough to cup a child’s face."

Then God molded long, slim legs and broad shoulders.

The angel nearly had a heart attack. "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right," she clucked. "Do You realize You just made a father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?"

God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sled, balance a boy on a bicycle or hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus."

God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "That’s not fair. Do You honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?"

And God smiled and said, "They’ll work. You’ll see. They’ll support a small child who wants to "ride a horse to Banbury Cross" or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill."

God worked throughout the night, giving the father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that see everything, but remain calm and tolerant.

Finally, almost as an afterthought, He added tears. Then He turned to the angel and said, "Now are you satisfied that he can love as much as a mother?"

And the angel shutteth up!

By Erma Bombeck

My Hero
As I ponder the love that I saw in his eyes,
A Godly love, given without compromise....
I recall many times that he stood by my side,
And prodded me on with great vigor and pride.
His voice ever confident, firm and yet fair,
Always speaking with patience, tenderness and care.
The power and might of his hands was so sure,
I knew there was nothing we couldn't endure.
It's true, a few others provided insight,
Yet, he laid the foundation that kept me upright.
He's the grandest of men to have lived on this earth,
Although he's not royal by stature or birth.
He's a man of great dignity, honor and strength.
His merits are noble, and of admirable length.
He's far greater than all other men that I know,
He's my Dad, he's my mentor, my friend and hero.

-Poem by Debbie Hinton Young

It Takes More Than Blood
It takes more than blood to be a dad.
Oh this is surely a proven fact.
I've seen men give his heart to a child ...
Never once think of taking it back.

A Dad is the one who is always there;
He protects a child from all harm.
He gives a child the assurance that he
will be their anchor in any storm.

A real Dad is a man that teaches his child
all the things in life he needs to know.
He's the tower of strength a child leans on.
The source of love that helps them grow.

There are men that children call Daddy.
Oh, he is their shelter when it rains.
He showers them with unconditional love.
As if it were his blood in their veins.

Whenever you meet a Dad that redefines the word,
honor him with all the respect that is due.
Understand that he proudly wears this banner ...
Because his heart is big enough for you.

It's sad but true that not all men understand
it takes more than blood to be a dad.
Someday if they wake up to their empty life ...
They shall miss what they could have had.

To those men who will never be a dad ...
No matter what they say or do.
It takes more than blood to possess that title ...
And it's only found in a man like you.

Author Kaye Des'Ormeaux ©2001
All Rights Reserved.
In Honor of a true Dad
It is illegal to take or use a copyright
poem or work without original authors permission.

Daddy's Girl
When you were young, pony-tailed,
face full of playful freckles,
were you a daddy's girl?
I was. I still am.
Did you look to him for your security,
for love and attention,
for the understanding, and the patience you lacked
as a child?
My daddy was the center of my small world,
the focus of my affections,
the star that lit my life, shining bright.
Shining still in my heart.
The years have led me here,
weathered with maturity and responsibilities,
and I see more clearly now.
The hardships, burdens of love,
and all the small sacrifices he made for me,
for our family.
He created stability, a place to call home.
All the photographs I browse through
of a child long forgotten, scarcely remembered
smiling, so happy and so loved.
The mere thought of becoming that role model
is enough to send me cowering, afraid...
looking for guidance.
Turning to my father and my more for support,
advice, wise counsel, and for approval.
Grown up, I see differently now...
A new perspective of a man I have always known.
My heart is full, my emotions overpowering
just in the certainty of that bond.
He's been there for me through all the conflicts
helping me over the rough, ragged stones
of growing up.
My respect for him is unending,
faith is unbound, and love is unquestioning.
Even in the midst of all my imperfections, he is lenient,
ignoring the pitfalls, the downfalls, the shortcomings,
he just accepted me as I was, as I am.
The sheer purity of it leaves me awe-struck
and it lifts me up, it holds my head a little higher,
it keeps me in balance,
harmonizing with the world around me
beautifully, like an inspired masterpiece from the soul
of an honest man.
I am honored to know him, to love him, to be of him.
He's my hero, and I am his daughter, his little girl.

-Poem by Christine McNamara

Lessons My Father Taught Me
I watched you today, as you watched
your grandchildren, my children- and wondered
how you endured the pain, fear, joy and elation
that transforms us into parents.
I remembered the patience, the laughter, the tears.
Do I have the strength to endure it all?

It is with great anticipation that I take these
baby steps as guardian, guide and parent, filled with
a fear of flying and failing- hoping that I might find
as you have- the child within myself, the magic of youth.
To encourage the spirit and to nurture the imagination
as well as the soul.

I will move slowly, delicately, yet boldly-
armed with the wisdom of your life, your love,
with full awareness of my shortcomings, yet pride
in my strength, thankful that it was you
that brought me to this place, this time, this love.
I watched you today as you watched your grandchildren.

-Poem by Monique Wright-Hanna

My Father

Four years old: My daddy can do anything.
Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.
Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.
Eight years old: My dad doesn't know exactly everything.
Ten years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.
Twelve years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn't know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.
Fourteen years old: Don't pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned.
Twenty-one years old: Him? My Lord, he's hopelessly out of date.
Twenty-five years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.
Thirty years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he's had a lot of experience.
Thirty-five years old: I'm not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.
Forty years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.
Fifty years old: I'd give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn't appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him.

Writer Unknown

Her hair up in a pony tail, her favorite dress tied with a bow. Today was Daddy's Day at school, and she couldn't wait to go.

But her mommy tried to tell her, that she probably should stay home, why, the kids might not understand, if she went to school alone.

But, she was not afraid; she knew just what to say. What to tell her classmates, on this Daddy's Day. But still her mother worried, for her to face this day alone. And, that was why once again, she tried to keep her daughter home.

But, the little girl went to school, eager to tell them all about a dad she never sees, a dad who never calls.

There were daddies along the wall in back, for everyone to meet, children squirming impatiently, anxious in their seats. One by one the teacher called a student from the class to introduce their daddy as seconds slowly passed. At last the teacher called her name, every child turned to stare.

Each of them was searching for a man who wasn't there. "Where's her daddy?" she heard a boy call out "She probably doesn't have one," another student dared to shout. And, from somewhere near the back, she heard a daddy say "Looks like another deadbeat dad, too busy to waste his day."

The words did not offend her, as she smiled at her friends, and looked back at her teacher, who told her to begin. And with hands behind her back, slowly she began to speak, and out from the mouth of a child, came words incredibly unique.

"My Daddy couldn't be here, because he lives so far away, but I know he wishes he could be with me on this day. And though you cannot meet him, I wanted you to know, all about my daddy, and how much he loves me so.

He loved to tell me stories, he taught me to ride my bike, he surprised me with pink roses, and taught me to fly a kite. We used to share fudge sundaes and ice cream in a cone, and though you cannot see him, I'm not standing all alone. 'Cause my daddy's always with me, even though we are apart, I know because he told me, he'll forever be here in my heart".

With that her little hand reached up, and lay across her chest, feeling her own heartbeat, beneath her favorite dress. From somewhere in the crowd of dads, her mother stood in tears, proudly watching her daughter, who was wise beyond her years. She stood up for the love of a man not in her life, doing what was best for her, doing what was right.

When she dropped her hand back down, staring straight into the crowd, she finished with a voice so soft, but its message clear and loud, "I love my daddy very much, he's my shining star, if he could he'd be here, but heaven's just too far. Sometimes when I close my eyes, it's like he never went away."

Then she closed her eyes, and saw him there that day. To her mother's amazement, she witnessed with surprise, a room full of daddies and children, all starting to close their eyes.

Who knows what they saw before them, who knows what they felt inside? Perhaps for a second, they saw him at her side.

"I know you're with me Daddy," to the silence she called out.

What happened next made believers, of those once filled with doubt. No one in that room could explain it, for each of their eyes had been closed. But there placed on her desktop, was a beautiful fragrant pink rose, a child was blessed, if only a moment, by the love of her shining bright star. And, given the gift of believing that heaven is never too FAR.

By Cheryl Costello-Forshey ©2000

• Go ask your mother!
• Just wait until I get you home!
• I love you, son!
• I love you, princess!
• When I was your age....
• My father used to tell me...
• I used to walk to school in the snow!
• Be home early.
• That's not a tear, I have something in my eye.

Start by lining a 9-by-12-inch cardboard shirt box with tissue paper. Bake a cake in a 9-by-12-inch cake pan, remove from the pan, cool and place on waxed paper. Cover with a larger piece of waxed paper and flip the cake over and into the box (the cake bottom should face up).

Frost with a pastel-colored icing. Cut a collar and two cuffs out of white paper. The collar is a strip, rolled into a ring and taped, with a small "v" cut out of the center. The cuffs are rectangles with candy cuff links. Add a colorful frosting tie below the point where the collar will be placed. Just before serving, trim away the waxed paper and add the collar and cuffs.

Hero Sandwich

What do you call a sandwich stuffed with cold cuts and cheese? If you live in New England, it's a grinder; on the West Coast, a submarine. Order one in Philadelphia, and it's a hoagie; in New Orleans, a muffuletta. But serve one to Dad on Father's Day, and there's only one name for it: a hero sandwich.

Cut a loaf of French bread in half lengthwise. Layer on slices of ham, salami, and Provolone, Swiss or American cheese. Top with lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Add onions, pickles, olives and hot peppers, if desired. Spread on mayonnaise or mustard, or drizzle with Italian salad dressing. Serve with corn chips or pretzels and an ice-cold glass of lemonade.

Both of these great recipes were originally published in FamilyFun Magazine.

Other Great Father's Day Ideas

Recommended Reading

 

All Dads on Deck
By Judy Delton, Alan Tiegreen

Dad's Dinosaur Day
By Diane Dawson Hearn

A Perfect Father's Day
By Eve Bunting, Susan Meadaugh

Whose Kids Are These Anyway
By Ken Swarner

The New Father
A Dad's Guide to the First Year
By Armin A. Brott

Father's Day Web Sites

Alphabet Soup's Father's Day
Billy Bear's Happy Father's Day
Cyber Grandma's Happy Father's Day
Dazzle Lady's Father's Day
Father's Day On The Net
Father's Day Recipes
Happy Father's Day by Charlene
Jess Cannon's Home Page
The Holiday Spot
What's a Dad
Woman's Day Father's Day
20ishParents.com Father's Day

 

Father's Day Card Sites

123 Greetings Dad's Day
Bowcreek's Father's Day Cards
Father's Day Cards

Recommended Shopping!

Father's Day Store

Marvel's E-Store

Gifts for Grads Store
Please visit the Dad's Day companion sites.

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