Friday, June 17, 2011

my dear father...

Our daughter stopped by for lunch yesterday...and had a chuckle about her dad's coffee mug. It happens to be one she gave him for Father's Day almost two decades ago...and it's still among his favorites. Here are the words on the side of the mug...

My Dear Father...

As a child, I'd run to you for comfort whenever I felt
unsure or afraid.

You would hold me on your lap and tell me that if I believed 
enough in my dreams and in myself, to reach them...
nothing would be beyond my grasp
--and you were right.

You seemed so wise and strong,
I thought I could never outgrow my love for you...
and that as I got older,
you'd be even more special to me.

And I was right.

I think I know why it's his favorite mug.  It has everything to do with the words on the cup...and the fact that it came from his daughter.

We will be celebrating Father's Day this weekend.


 I am most blessed to be able to spend some time with my dad and with the other four dads in my life...


...the fathers of my grands and the father of my children.  They are a special lot...entrusted with the awesome responsibility of fatherhood. 


Each day of our lives, we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.
 ~ Charles Swindoll

One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.
~George Herbert

And in the end, it's not the years
in your life that count.
It's the life in your years.
~Abraham Lincoln

Those words I leave for all of 'my dads'.

And these three...
I love you!

14 comments:

  1. Oh wonderful tribute to the special dads in your life.

    What a great mug and no wonder it's a favorite of Elmer's.

    Happy Father's Day to the clan!

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  2. Lovely post - the mosaic of your dad should be on a Hallmark card!

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  3. Your thoughts are so poignant and true. You have a fine crop of fathers in your photo, and I love that there is a pink sippy cup with them on the table.

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  4. The thing about fotos is they catch the moment - and allow you to notice things you probably didn't see when you pressed that button... Like the size of Dad's hands on that fishing rod... and why is the plastic bag standing so upright? and, is there mate' in the sippy cup? Hope your Fathers Day is a sunny one!

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  5. What a wonderful group of men. We are very blessed to have such fantastic men in our lives who love our grands!

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  6. One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters.I think that one is going on a handmade father's day card. Thanks for the inspiration.

    What a handsome lot of men you've got!! Enjoy the day...

    Blessings, Debbie

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  7. Lovely Judy. Those photos of your dad are really great!!

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  8. What a nice tribute to all the Dad's...I loved the coffee cup story :-)

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  9. I like Abe Lincoln's quote! So wonderful that you still have your dad to celebrate with. He surely has had a lot of years to fill with a lot of life.

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  10. Wonderful post, Judy! Happy Father's day to all the special men in your life.

    Our Father's Day is also this Sunday and I will be making a special dinner for my husband to cheer him up that his children are now both living far away.

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  11. Enjoyed reading your words.....and the quotes you shared. Such a great photo of your dad fishing!

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'The ornament of a house is the friends who frequent it.'
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson