Happy Fathers Day to all Fathers.
Posted on 06/18/2006 12:40:14 AM PDT by sully777
The United States is one of the few countries in the world that has an official day on which fathers are honored by their children. On the third Sunday in June, fathers all across the United States are given presents, treated to dinner or otherwise made to feel special. .
The origin of Father's Day is not clear. Some say that it began with a church service in West Virginia in 1908. Others say the first Father's Day ceremony was held in Vancouver, Washington.
Regardless of when the first true Father's Day occurred, the strongest promoter of the holiday was Mrs. Bruce John Dodd of Spokane, Washington. She thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Sonora wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. Smart, who was a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state.
After Sonora became an adult she realized the selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. In 1909, Mrs. Dodd approached her own minister and others in Spokane about having a church service dedicated to fathers on June 5, her father's birthday. That date was too soon for her minister to prepare the service, so he spoke a few weeks later on June 19th. From then on, the state of Washington celebrated the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Children made special desserts, or visited their fathers if they lived apart.
In early times, wearing flowers was a traditional way of celebrating Father's Day. Mrs. Dodd favored the red rose to honor a father still living, while a white flower honored a deceased dad. J.H. Berringer, who also held Father's Day celebrations in Washington State as early as 1912, chose a white lilac as the Father's Day Flower.
States and organizations began lobbying Congress to declare an annual Father's Day. In 1916, President Woodrow Wilson approved of this idea, but it was not until 1924 when President Calvin Coolidge made it a national event to "establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations." Since then, fathers had been honored and recognized by their families throughout the country on the third Sunday in June.
In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day and put the official stamp on a celebration that was going on for almost half a century.
I never really had much of a father (he was a real @asshole)
But my grandfather took his place. When I was young, we used to spend the day fishing for catfish along the Red River.
Although he past away in the late 70's, it has become a tradition once again with my sons, Although I'm short one this year. He was KIA last November. I'll put on an extra hook. :o)
He was the person that told me about the Free Republic.
_________________
Mine too!
"Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope."
"When you're a father you censor yourself. You get just as angry with a child but you don't want to say, "What the filth and foul and I'll filth and foul, filth and foul and, yeah, ya filth and foul face, and I'll filth and foul, foul, filth!" You don't want to say that to a child so you censor yourself and you sound like an idiot. "
"Every father says the same thing: (Squinting and looking bewildered) 'Where's your mother?'"
"My father established our relationship when I was seven years old. He looked at me and said, 'You know, I brought you in this world, and I can take you out. And it don't make no difference to me, I'll make another one look just like you.'"
~~ Bill Cosby
Top Ten Things You'll Never Hear a Dad Say
10. Well, how 'bout that?... I'm lost! Looks like we'll have to stop and ask for directions.
9. You know Pumpkin, now that you're thirteen, you'll be ready for unchaperoned car dates. Won't that be fun?
8. I noticed that all your friends have a certain "up yours" attitude ... I like that.
7. Here's a credit card and the keys to my new car -- GO CRAZY.
6. What do you mean you wanna play football? Figure skating not good enough for you, son?
5. Your Mother and I are going away for the weekend ... you might want to consider throwing a party.
4. Well, I don't know what's wrong with your car. Probably one of those doo-hickey thingies -- you know -- that makes it run or something. Just have it towed to a mechanic and pay whatever he asks.
3. No son of mine is going to live under this roof without an earring -- now quit your belly-aching, and let's go to the mall.
2. Whaddya wanna go and get a job for? I make plenty of money for you to spend.
1. Father's Day? aahh -- don't worry about that -- it's no big deal.
And after now 20 such Father's Days, I still feel that hole in which you mention. The first one without him was indeed the hardest. I was teary eyed in a card store picking out cards for my husband and father-in-law, but couldn't help looking at what I would have bought for my own. Mine was only 62 and I was 29. You learn to deal, but never ever forget that feeling of loss.
We have a new Daddy in our family, my son-in-law, so tomorrow will be nice for him!
My dad said that or at least something similar that would get me kicked off Free Republic if I posted it.
recall a flic of a Redskin...Chris Hanburger or Dave Butz, holding their baby in a game battered hand.
Great flic...equal to either man. Canna find the picture short of some "arm and'a leg" price if at all.
That said, Truck On #37...Pat Fischer.
You and and the Missus dunna take custody...you become Ma and Pa...Congratulations and God Bless...Just know it's been a haul and a half getting here.
do an extra hook for me...I'll enjoy the tug of the line. Fresh fish ainna bad either....
Congratulations, my wife and I after three biological children (boys) adopted two little girls from Russia. They are now 10 and 7 and the youngest boy is 33. god is good. Amen.
btt
If they are anything like my kids, the house is one big play area and anything is in-play. Good lookin family PE. Happy Fathers Day.
And Happy Brand-Spankin'-New-Father's Day wishes to FR's own BJClinton whose daughter was born yesterday! (And what a cute li'l punkin she is!)
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