So today is the day we celebrate our dads. Today is the day we say “Happy Father’s Day”.
My dad is a hero of mine. He is one of my best friends. He is a dreamer, a surfer, a music-lover, a writer, a thinker. He showed me all of those. More importantly, he gave my sisters and I the great gift of growing up in a home filled with love and laughter (and lots of songs). We grew up in a home where we knew that we were loved, and we knew that our mother was loved, and I am certain now that there is no greater gift.
That’s a bit of my story – an easy reason to celebrate. But I am writing this because I know that not everyone has been so fortunate. I know that today is not an easy day for everyone. It is strange the way the holidays, the celebration days, can hurt the most. How the days designed for giving, remind us what’s been taken. Some have little or nothing to celebrate. For others, it is simply a day that hurts, a day to mourn.
Maybe you never met him. Or maybe he walked out. Maybe he was there but it was broken. Is broken. Maybe he was great but now he’s gone.
I want to say I’m sorry. We’re sorry. I’m sorry for the pain. I’m sorry for what’s missing, and I’m sorry for what’s broken. I can’t imagine what it’s like, what you feel, but I want to say that you’re not alone. You are not the only one feeling these things, wrestling with these things. For what it’s worth, I want to say that we’re with you. We’re thinking of you, and we’re even praying for you today. And beyond that, I want to say that you are loved.
I didn’t realize Jeff Foxworthy said serious things, but he said this: “It seems we humans carry the weight of our dad’s shortcomings. The truth is, our real father is perfect in every way, especially in his love for us.”
I want to mention a friend of mine; Donald Miller. I talk about him a lot. He’s also one of my heroes. Don wrote a great book called “To Own a Dragon”, and he wrote that book for guys who grow up without fathers. It is the story of his own journey, as Don himself grew up without a dad. Don is so committed to this part of his story, that he’s decided to do more than write a book. He’s started an organization called The Belmont Foundation, and the vision is to provide life-long mentors for young guys who are growing up without dads. I’m really excited about what they’re doing, and I want to invite you to check out [url]http://www.belmontfoundation.org[/url]
For those of you with great dads, embrace this day. Tell him you love him. Hug the crap out of him. Live it up. For those of you without, know that we’re with you today. Hope exists for people in need of hope. Community is a real and possible thing, like family we choose. We’re all in this together.
Peace to you today.
jamie
PS: To the fathers who inspire me: Jon Tyson in New York City, Jim Hoyle in Cocoa, Gord Marriage in Ottawa, Josh Loveless in Orlando, Jess Cantelon in Jerusalem, Eric Brown in Portland, Britt Merrick in Santa Barbara (and Britt’s father Al), Mark Foreman in San Diego. Thank you for loving your children. Thank you for loving your wife. Thank you for showing me love. Thank you for being a picture of God’s love.