Father's Day

Father's Day is next Sunday, June 21.

President Calvin Coolidge recommended it as a national holiday in 1924, President Lyndon Johnson made Father's Day a holiday to be celebrated on the third Sunday of June, and the holiday became officially recognized during the presidency of Richard Nixon in 1972.

Retailers use this holiday to promote greeting cards and male-oriented gifts (like ties, electronics, and tools). Often kids are encouraged to make Father's Day gifts in school.

If you happen to live with dad you could make a meal or dessert (refer here to Kitchen Safety). How about getting a little exercise together if the weather is nice? Take a walk, or play Frisbee, football, tennis, or whatever dad likes. Spend time with him and play cards or dominoes. You could wash his car and leave this handy gift inside - the '4-in-1 Auto Emergency Tool', or offer to do a chore or errand for him. Or why not ask him how he would like to spend the day?

While many of us celebrate and honor our own fathers in person, if you can't be with your dad this year, be sure to let him know you are thinking of him and love him. Isn't that what really matters anyway?

Not everyone has positive experiences or memories with their fathers. Maybe it could be a time of forgiveness? Try making amends or peace with the situation if possible. Or, if unfortunately your father was a bad example, why not decide to try to be a better parent, uncle/aunt, or brother/sister yourself?

Some of our fathers have passed on. Bring flowers and visit his grave site, light a special candle in memory of him, or create a small alter somewhere in your home to place objects that remind you of your father.

As a daughter, we need to be proactive and confident about our personal safety. Dad, boyfriend, or husband might feel a little reassured knowing we are equipped to take care of ourselves. This can come from self defense training (depending on what is available where you live), and/or carrying a non-lethal defense product (available here, note that some items are dependent on your local laws).

-------------- Quotes About Fathers -------------------

"A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society." -- Billy Graham, Christian Evangelist

"How true Daddy's words were when he said: 'All children must look after their own upbringing.' Parents can only give good advice or put them on the right paths, but the final forming of a person's character lies in their own hands." -- Anne Frank, German Jew and Holocaust Victim

"My dad has always taught me these words: care and share." -- Tiger Woods, U.S. Professional Golfer

"When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years." --Mark Twain