To all fathers we wish you a Happy Fathers’ Day!

Today we celebrate your commitment, your every effort and your role.  As a child I remember my dad waking me up every morning to get ready for school. When I resisted, he would ask me to squeeze his fingers and each time after, I would end up wide awake. Exerting such strength on the edge of sleep and wakefulness, pushed me to the wake up. Or, when I resisted squeezing his fingers because I knew it would wake we up, he would play with my nose. That worked always! I woke up from the sheer annoyance of gently strokes on my nose. Later, I found him in the kitchen preparing breakfast and he was always thrilled to see me and my siblings. He made certain I had everything I needed and wanted and if not, he made certain I could approach him for it. He trained my brothers to be the same with me and my sister especially when we grew into teenage years. As growing girls, my sister and I did no need to seek a penny or an ounce of “true” love from any other “male” – we had our father and our brothers – and our mother, of course. This made boyfriends quite dispensable if they did not measure up to the love we received at home. My father is an amazing man, a supportive husband and a great father! He is patient, kind, generous, thoughtful and slow to anger. I can only remember him being upset with me one time in the entire life!  Today, my brothers are great fathers because of him. We are all patient, kind and loving because of him (and my mom) and well, each but one of us is an entrepreneur because of him.

It is said that if you are a woman, you will marry someone like your father. I am thankful to God that my father is the man he is because …yes, it worked out that way for me. My husband, J. Simon, is a wonderful man, a supportive husband and a great father. He, too, wakes up our daughter before school, gets her clothes ready and prepares breakfast. There are times when we all go out for breakfast before taking her to school and there are times when only the two of them go! She loves it all. And so do I.  They have so many wonderful “adventures” together and I know each moment is being recorded by her, stored in her memory under “My Dad.” Between my dad and my husband are so many similarities (and differences) and I am completely grateful for the both of them. I remember feeling my father loved me in spite of whatever I did. My best friend would say to me all the time …”you can do no wrong.” And she was right! My dad unconditionally loved me when I was growing up – and love and patience were always shown first no matter what I did – and he loves me the same way today! I remember the reliability I found in him as a child (and still find) and I hope my daughter feels the same way about her dad throughout her entire life. There is no substitute for that kind of care and love. So, dads and step-dads, give all the love you’ve got to give, keep nothing in reserve, all of it is always needed now, in every stage, in every day. Just like me, my daughter has a great dad, a man whom will love her always, a man who knows some of the best of times is in every moment with her and whose smile has her name written all over it.

I have to mention and celebrate the fathers who do it all! And to the many, many mothers who do it all! Who fill both roles as best they can. Who are stretched at the seams with responsibility and worry. I admire you all for not only doing what you do because you must but for doing what you do because you love.

Happy Fathers’ Day to my dad (I love you) , to my husband (I love you, Sweetie), to my brothers (I love you) and to all fathers! Today is for you! Thanks for reading and have a fantastic Week!  We invite you to Check us out on Facebook / Twitter