DADS (fathers) DAY

One minute past midnight and 'Fathers Day' will be officially all over as another day starts; Monday. The cards might stop up a bit longer to remind us of day that we've celebrated and depending on the gift you've received, a lot longer. But one thing that will always remain; ' You' being a father. Being a dad never goes away like the day does, the card or the gift does, fatherhood is, or supposed to be a life long title and commitment. It's great that "Fathers Day" is celebrated and fathers are shown love and appreciation.

So kids; regardless of your age don't let this one day in the year be the only day that you let your dad know how loved he is and how special he is to you. Take every opportunity to allow yourself to let him know. If at all possible; let him know every day, every week, every month, every year, until he is no longer with you, and unable to share " Fathers Day" with him. My dad died nearly eleven years ago, so I can't, but he knew how much I loved and appreciated him.

Don't be left with guilt and a lot of regrets; the 'what if's' and the wishes 'I'd done this'. Make the most of the time that you have with your parents, not just your dad because you never know how long you have with them. I thought that mum would live until at least one hundred. She never had any life-threatening illnesses, none. But my dad, he did; he had cancer and I knew his time was drawing closer. After a short illness in a hospital, a couple of days at home he was then taken to a hospice. I remember that day as if it was yesterday; On the tenth of September, the family came to visit him at the Marie Curie. it was unarranged. We came one by one, eventually, by mid-afternoon, we were all there, my mum, my two brothers, and my two sisters. We all gathered around the top of dads bed for a photo, and for the first time in over five years, we were all together and I have a picture to prove it. Then the day after he died in his sleep. It was as if he had waited until he had seen each of us, altogether before dying. Amazing!

At this time in my life, the lockdown and the death of my mother, I'm super sensitive mode; emotionally and spiritually. I've had a lot of thinking time and headspace to look back over my life; the memories of my mum and dad. My future and what it holds for me. They say that men (fathers) don't show their emotions, or are in touch with their feminine side; That's not true of me though, I can get quite emotional and tearful over things; a weepy movie, a special song, a meaningful hymn or an amazing human feat. It's sad when it takes a death for men, in particular, to allow themselves to get in touch with their emotions. Father's it's okay to cry, to grieve, to show your softer side of your nature.

In all the time I have known my eldest brother, Vern, he has only cried twice, he was overcome by emotions; And my brother was tough a real fighter. He had to fight for everything. So when I saw him cry I knew it was alright to cry too. So it doesn't make you soft, it's quite the opposite: Only real men cry, some say, and so do I. Having learned the hard way, I look into putting what those life experiences into practice, not that I can boast that I've achieved perfection, I haven't. I am still learning, a father with his 'L' plates on.

I have fulfilled my responsibilities to Honour my father and my mother, and have enjoyed the times that I had spent with my dad on "Fathers Day" Enjoy your fathers days every day.