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How Fathers Were Created
When the good Lord was creating fathers, He started with a tall frame. 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 childsize, who would children have
to look up to?"
And when God made a father's hands, they were large and sinewy. The angel
shook her head sadly and said, "Large hands are clumsy. They can't manage
diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on ponytails or even remove
splinters caused by baseball bats." And 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."
And 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?" And 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,
authoritive voice and eyes that saw everything but remained 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?"
The angel shutteth up.
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A few personal thoughts to close this special piece
Father's Day in the United States is the third Sunday in June. This year it
is June 19. In a nutshell, Father's Day was first observed in Spokane,
Washington in 1910. Over the next decade, cities across America began
celebrating a day for fathers and in 1924 President Calvin Coolidge
supported the idea of a national Father's Day. It wasn't until 1966 that
President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the
3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day. In 1972, President Richard Nixon
established a permanent national observance of Father's Day to be held on
the third Sunday of June. This came almost sixty years after Mother's Day
had been proclaimed a National day of observance.
My father passed away nearly 5 years ago, but his memory lives on in my
heart each and every day. He lived 250 miles away and on the drive back
home from visiting family, I realized that I had not gotten to shake his
hand in several months. He always believed in a firm handshake and even
after his body became frail, the firmness of his handshake remained. I also
miss his always cheery greeting of "Hi there, number one son."
GCF was suspended for a week back in August of 2000 and during that time I
received hundreds of emails from GCF subscribers. These emails contained
many kind words and thoughts conveyed to me and my family, but the words of
one person said it all in one concise sentence. I apologize to the person
who sent it because I cannot remember your name, but your words said it best:
"You are blessed to have a father who let you know, just by how he
addressed you, how much you are loved."
If your father is no longer here, remember his memory with joy. If you are
lucky enough to have your father still around, be happy with him and enjoy
the day.
Happy Father's Day to all.
"Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope."
Bill Cosby
Lazy Susans are named after Thomas Edison's daughter. He invented it to impress a gathering of industrialists and inventors.
