Today Sunday, 15 June is Father’ Day. My own Dad, who passed away 35 years ago and who I miss every single day, had lots of great sayings; “Neither a borrower nor a lender be”, “You can always find time to do the things you want to do”, “If you’re honest and straight, you have nothing to fear” and so on.
Being his only daughter (I have two older brothers) and the youngest in his beloved family I possibly remember him differently to my brothers. He expected them to be “men” whilst I was allowed to be his “little girl”. To them he was probably stern and whilst I also saw that side to him, I also saw more of his softer side…………the man who stood at the end of our street waiting for me to come out of the dance hall on a Saturday night (the hall was literally at the end of our street, no more than a hundred paces from our home, and, at the time, I didn‘t really appreciate this; I mean, who wants their Dad waiting for them??!!) so he could see me safely home, the man who had tears quietly falling down his cheeks when I came out of the shop changing room wearing my wedding dress, the man who came to see me in hospital after I had given birth to my first child and who demanded that the nurse take off the baby’s blanket so he could make sure my newborn son had all his fingers, toes and everything else that he should have!
My Dad looked after me in life and, as I found out for sure only 18 months ago, continues to look after me long after his death. Eighteen months ago I was seriously ill and teetering between life and death, but who was there to turn me back when I was going to join him………….my Dad! Thankfully it wasn’t my time and he knew that and that was the only occasion he turned me away from him.
If you are lucky enough to still have your Dad in life with you, treasure him every day and celebrate this Father’s Day with him, remembering the saying;
“Any man can be a father. It takes someone special to be a dad”
I write this in honour of my Dad and remember him with love and thankfulness.
Jane x
