Father's Day Esteem

Liza Minnelli commented: My Mother gave me drive,
but my father gave me my dreams. Thanks to him, I could see the future.

Steve Martin observed that a father carries pictures where his money used to be.

In a large yard, playing with his son, Dad kneels on the ground with a football between him and his son who eagerly awaits his Dad to toss him the football...illustrated by a news photo.

Dad's little girl is sitting on his lap...trying to tie her shoe.Euripedes concluded: To a father growing old, nothing is dearer than a daughter!

Fathers Day Recollection

Being a busy farmer, he had little time to spend with my sister and me.There was always the Sunday Drive following Sunday morning's church service. We'd go for a country drive, following which he'd park at home ~ Mom in the front seat ~ my sister and I in the back seat. This was HIS TIME to chat or lecture us on the principles of family respect, love, understanding and principles of life.

In the far distance from our farm, freight trains, a couple times daily, tooted at cross-roads, often pulling a dozen or more freight cars; our Dad, highly intrigued by them, I'm certain he'd have loved to be a train engineer. What interested my sister and me were the occasional Trans Canada airplanes that flew overhead across Canada from the east coast to Vancouver. My yearning was to become a flight Stewardess to see our country from the Atlantic to Pacific Oceans.

Of course, duing the week, farming was a family business: both in home...the fields with growing crops ...and care of our farm animals. It was many years later that I realized and valued the 'family times together.' Sundays was family day ...frequently with dinner guests.

The best holiday ever, was when he sold the farm ~ and with cash in pocket, he purchased a 2-door red Studebaker! Off we drove from our Southern Ontario farmstead to Vancouver, British Columbia. As lovers of airplanes, frequently we parked at airport fencing to observe planes landing and taking off

into the vast blue sky to faraway destinations.

Mother was terrified when Dad drove through the Rocky Mountains.:
Roads, though paved, clung to cliffsides;
and the deep valleys on her side, were frightening;

Arriving in Vancouver, Dad drove ocean-side to the Pacific's cool blue waters. Huriedly, he parked the Stude on the beach...rolled up his pant legs...and dashed into the cool rolling waves! Mom, my sister and I smiled and laughed at his exuberance! His life-long dream just became realized.
This 3-week holiday was the best ever of family togetherness!
Today, this fabulous ocean-front is known as Kitsilano Beach .

Our parents, protective of us, had strict regulations. utilizing discipline under which they were raised.Our activities were monitored and regulated to keep us on the straight and narrow path of life.

When company arrived, sitting and chatting on the front porch, our father would frequently say when referring to us, I'll soon have to sit on this porch with my shotgun!

Celebrating Father's Day While 'Social Distancing'

To say that Covid-19 changed life as we know it, would be an understatement.
Social Distancing may have become the new normal. People are finding creative ways to celebrate special occasions. Here are some special ways to celebrate the day:

Zoom, Skype and Face Time provide invaluable opportunities to speak and connect
face-to-face when personal gatherings are not possible.

Deliver Gifts: Take a few cues from the Easter Bunny or Santa Claus. Leave the gifts outside the house. For added fun, hide the gifts and provide scavenger hunt clues.

Dine Out at Home: If dining out was something you typically do on Father's Day, replicate the experience at home. Try to recreate Dad's favourite meal from the restaurant he loves ~ or see if the restaurant offers curb-side pickup. Transform the Dining Table into a restaurant table...or take the meal outdoors for some al fresco fun. Let the kids serve as the wait staff.

Spend Time Together: One of the silver linings of social distancing is the opportunity for family members who reside under one roof to have more uninterrupted time together. Chances of having the kids nearby...and sharing some stories...and laughs together...will be a perfect way for Dad to enjoy Father's Day! With some creative thinking, Dads across the county can still enjoy their special day.

The foregoing are excerpts from a Hamilton Spectator recent posting.

Pope John X111 observed:

It is easier for for a father to have children ~ than for children to have a father.

Wishing Happy Father's Day and all Grandfathers on June 21, 2020.

The foregoing assembled by Merle Baird-Kerr June 15, 2020
To respond: mbairdkerr@cogeco.ca