“Happy Father’s Day!” is an expression many dads will hear a few times today.
My father, Clarence Williams, passed away in 1997 of cancer. I miss him very much, as all of his family and friends do. The pain of the loss has subsided over the years but my appreciation of him has increased.
I am a father myself. When my father passed my son was 15 months old and my daughter was 2 months old. I am glad that he got to play with my children and hold them in his arms before stepping into eternity. Someday there will be a reuniting. It will surely be a great celebration.
Over the years my appreciation of my father has grown. I know he wasn’t perfect. He had faults and made mistakes, as we all do. I do know, however, that he did love us and care for us. He made many sacrifices. He did his best to give us as many advantages as possible.
My perspective of dear old Dad grew as I grew. Maybe you have had a similar experience.
Ages 0 to 10.
All children are born with a complete dependance on their parents. I thought that he could do nothing wrong. I believed that there was nothing he could not do. Dear old Dad was the greatest and the best.
Ages 10-14.
I started noticing that dear old Dad wasn’t as perfect as I thought. For one thing, he wasn’t as cool as he used to be. He really did not know everything. There were problems he couldn’t solve.
Ages 15-20.
These were the years I began to think dear old Dad knew less about life than I imagined possible. Don’t get me wrong, I still loved and respected him, but I did think I had life figured out. I was convinced dear old Dad did not have much more to teach me.
Ages 21-29
I began to wake up to the fact that dear old Dad had experience, wisdom and knowledge I needed. By this time I had experienced some failures. Failures have a way of teaching lessons. I can remember going to Dad, getting some real practical advice and really appreciating it.
Just before my 30th birthday he died. I wish I had had more time to listen and ask questions. I wish I had taken more advantage of the time I was given.
Age 30 to Present.
I face challenges and obstacles like most people. There are times when I would love to be able to sit with dear old Dad, spend some time with him and ask his advice. I cherish the times I have had. I look forward to that great reunion on the other side.
Until then, I will do my best to remember the good experiences and to honour the godly example with which I was blessed.
‘Happy Father’s Day’ Dad! Thank you so much.
How has appreciation grown in you over the years?
Why does it seem to take so long?
How are you going to say, ‘Happy Father’s Day’ this year?
You can leave a comment below …
The Journey 