On this day honoring fathers I give thanks that I was blessed in this life to have two good fathers, Fred who died at 39, Ray who lived into his eighties, along with Alphose from Hungary, my father in law, another good father, who also lived into his eighties.
Loving, caring, responsible men who valued their families and family life, I am honored today, to be honoring fathers. They were all good role models who lived their values with integrity, with generosity and with open hearts. As a boy growing up i did not have too many memories of my first dad Fred for he died just before my fourth birthday. Once looking through a photo album of my mother I found a card written to my dad on the occasion of my birth from a close friend who had served with him in the Spanish Civil War fighting against the fascism of Franco.
The words seared into my soul: “Little Tommy, may you grow up to be half the man your old man was.” I do not think I have achieved that for Fred, Ray and Alphonse were giants in my eyes. They all showed up to major challenges of their lives in truly heroic ways so I honor them today, and every day at my ancestor altar, drawing strength to try and show up in my life along the path they illuminated about how good men live and treat others.
Today I also honor all fathers who did the best they could to father the lives they helped bring through. I honor too the masculine fathering principle that many women have had to step into in the absence of fathering help and all those uncles, brothers and friends who have stepped into the breach as needed to father and support children and the mothers who raise them.
Finally I honor “Our Father who art in Heaven”, which is within us all as the holy light that is our soul giving us the opportunity to be here for our time of now fathering, protecting, supporting and celebrating this precious life we are given by grace.
ALL BLESSINGS TO FATHERS AND FATHERHOOD!