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Dad, Father's Day

Remembering my dad, on Father’s Day

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Fathers Day
He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it. ~Clarence Budington Kelland

 

My father owned a business that allowed him the luxury of coming home, once in awhile, around 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

We would park ourselves at the kitchen table and watch the Mel Jass Matinee Movie …. munching on Ritz crackers with peanut butter and watching “The Duke.” I cherish those memories … just me and my dad.  All was right in the world.

John Wayne was a man’s man and so was my father, Eddie. How ironic that they both died on June 11, 1979. (There must be some kind of symbolism, in there somewhere)

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about my dad and it’s funny the things that you remember the most …

  • The love he had for my mother.
  • His strong forearms.
  • How handsome he was.
  • Laughed until he cried … mostly at his own (half told) jokes.
  • His phonetic spelling.
  • Teaching me how to play Craps … he loved Vegas!
  • Always threatening my mother that he was going to buy her a baby elephant for the backyard.
  • Hiding my sister on the top shelf of the linen closet (during a game of hide and seek) and forgetting her there.
  • Scaring the sh*t out of my mother by donning a wig and a butcher knife, (while she was showering) after they saw “Psycho” for the first time.
  • Standing a full-size lady mannequin in front of the kitchen sink and leaving it there for my brother who was way past curfew. Bet my brother still has a scar from falling over himself running out of the house like a crazy person.
  • His Mickey Mouse jeans.
  • Throwing change over the deli counter (onto the ledge) at the Boulevard Del.
  • His white patent leather shoes that he wore until they were dead.
  • His temper. Might be why I learned to run so fast.
  • Ripping the kid’s phone line out of the wall when it would constantly ring at dinner time.
  • Losing a two ton safe (that was a gift from a client that owned a building in old downtown Minneapolis) off the back of his truck on the highway. The mystery of the safe was in the Star and Tribune newspaper the next day. (you didn’t think he could stop and try to pick it up, did you?)
  • He made the world safe.
  • He loved us the best way he knew how.

I love you, Dad!

dad

Father's Day Poems...You Never is an unknown author.

You Never

  • You never said I’m leaving
  • You never said goodbye
  • You were gone before I knew it,
  • And only G-d knew why
  • A million times I needed you,
  • A million times I cried
  • If Love alone could have saved you,
  • You never would have died
  • In Life I loved you dearly
  • In death I love you still
  • In my heart you hold a place,
  • That no one could ever fill
  • It broke my heart to lose you,
  • But you didn’t go alone
  • For part of me went with you,
  • The day G-d took you home.

Father’s Day
Over the years
As we grow old,
We remember our father
So brave and bold.

In the garden,
Leaning on the plow,
He would listen to me;
I see him now.

He would give advice
And understand;
He was always there
To lend a hand.

God made fathers
Strong and firm,
For he knew our lives
Would have great concerns.

So he gave us fathers
To teach us to pray,
And guide our lives,
And show us the way.

So on his day
Let’s take the time
To say “Thanks, dad.
I’m so glad that you were mine.”
Mary Frances Bogle

dad

123 thoughts on “Remembering my dad, on Father’s Day”

  1. I searched many sites and here i found what i was looking for, thanks for valuable article

    Reply

  4. Quite a beautiful website. I recently built mine and i was looking for some design ideas and you gave me a few.
    Cheers

    Reply

  6. Wonderful post. I’m sure just writing it made you feel good about it. All of our dads hold special places in our hearts.

    Reply
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  9. What makes poetry so wonderful is the fact that it involves all of life, every concern, every desire, and every feeling. If something has some great significance to a person’s existence, then it has a great significance in poetry as well.

    Reply

  12. When my dad died, I thought a lot about his legacy and the legacy I would leave for my children. I decided I’d follow him in the “family business,” which was essentially teaching without lecturing.

    So I collected various stories he told me and stories about life lessons that I picked up on my own and wrote a book, primarily for my own daughters. With all the lessons you’re listing from your dad, maybe you’ll decide to do the same.

    Good luck and good memories.

    Reply
  15. Pingback: Remembering my dad, on Father’s Day. (via Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I love you!) « Ttlife's Blog

  16. You have a nice blog for your dad… My dad have passed away over a year ago and i still miss him. I guess, the way you do… God bless… Your dad must be proud of you…

    Reply
  18. Pingback: Memories of my Father that Influence me as a Father « Grace for Grace
  20. Pingback: Remembering my dad, on Father’s Day. (via Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I love you!) « Make No Bones About…

  21. Thanks for the post and the great quotes as well. Your Dad sounds like what every father should be and what every good father should strive to be: a genuine example to their family.

    Reply

  23. Nice post! I loved that you included “he made the world safe”. My Dad has always done that for me as well.
    I wrote about my Dad today too. 🙂

    Reply

  24. This is a lovely tribute. Those of us who celebrate Father’s Day with a dad are fortunate if we have good memories to look back on.

    One of my sons resembles my father who passed away more than 20 years ago. It is a great gift.

    Reply
  27. Pingback: To my Dad on Father’s Day « Living with Anxiety

  29. Thanks for your post! My dad was also a prankster and an all around fabulous dad! When he passed away two years ago, the house was packed. Glad that those of us who have lost can celebrate that which we lost together. My husband goes to celebrate with his own dad today. I can’t quite bring myself to be part of that celebration. I think my father’s day celebrating for someone other than my dad will have to wait until my husband is a father. Thanks again!
    ~Christy

    Reply
  31. Pingback: Remembering my dad, on Father’s Day. « My Buddy
  33. Pingback: Remembering my dad, on Father’s Day. (via Happy Father’s Day, Dad! I love you!) « Mbconsulting's Blog

  34. Father’s Day…., what a day in our lives that we are model fathers. It’s very pleasing to the ear when my children say,”happy father’s day.”

    Reply

    1. I love my father very dearly and if anyone ever asked me if I was satisfied with the father that I have now I would most deffinetly say YES! Me and my father have had our fights and so, so many words but what it really boils down to is that its his own way of saying I love you and that I am concerned about your well being. The only reason that my father is so hard on me is because he cares about my future. And sometimes I am to blind and abnoxious to even come close to seeing this! I LOVE YOU DADDY and HAPPY FATHERS DAY!

      Reply

  35. Nice post! This has given me some cherished thoughts of my father too! Thank you for sharing your expressions for which some is hard to do

    Reply

  36. This is my first father’s day without my own father. Its the night before (actually just after midnight now on Father’s Day), and I find myself searching for something…God I miss him. How to find a peace with this loss without shutting myself off is beyond me at this moment. I want to do something special for my mom tommorrow to show her that I care and am thinking about making a remembrence list and reading it to her. My father was a patient man. He used to take care of my mom who is disabled. This is my job now. A job I am blessed to enjoy. I see just how much he really did and why he was the way he was. Thanks for giving me some peace of mind tonight with some ever-feeling tears. I won’t ever forget that dad’s (and all loved ones) are just gifts from God to teach and cherish. Like all things, they find thier way home.

    Reply

  37. I share your thoughts. My father passed away 3 weeks ago after only 3 months with cancer. It still doesn’t make sense. It probably never will. I will miss him terribly. Seeing him suffer at the end was the worst; I want to remember him just as he always was prior to that.

    Here’s to fathers who are with us in spirit. May their names and their love live on.

    Reply

  38. I came to read your post because I thought your dad was Norm MacDonald! Great post. My father died when I was a mere 4 years old and my wonderful step father died back in the eighties. I really, really miss my step dad. We were blessed to have such an amazing man come into our lives and raise all four of us kids. I don’t think my mother ever really appreciated him, but I sure did.

    Reply

  39. Thank you for sharing this, it is a heartfelt written story of a father.
    This fathers Day we are in reverse, Dad is here but one of our sons has passed away, so a pain we feel and can relate.

    Take care and xherish those memeories,

    Andrea

    Reply

  41. On this Fathers Day, I would say,”happy, happy father day…, although you passed many years away.”

    How I fell losing you!

    Reply

  43. Lovely post about your special father. So sorry he is not with you, but I can relate to your memories because your father sounds a lot like mine. My father is still with me and I never take that for granted.

    Thanks for this tender reminder to celebrate Father’s Day with love and enthusiasm! 🙂

    Reply

  44. this is such an amazing post!
    I could definitely feel your love for your father!

    thanks for sharing.

    Reply
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  47. Love this – awesome poem. Felt like I was in a bit of a time warp for a couple of minutes. I also recall those white patent leather shoes – frankly, glad they are gone!
    Thanks!

    Reply

  48. Great Post! Throughout the years,I have been blessed to have more than one dad & even more blessed to have known my biological dad. Dad’s still dad and just recently had a Birthday soon to be closing in on sixty—cacjohnson

    Reply

  49. i sense something missing. while many comments are along the line ‘yea, i have/had a great dad, too’, none of them, let alone the post itself, says something like ‘and now i’m trying to pass this precious heritage/experience to my own children’. if you really owe something to your dad, you will never be able to return it directly to him – this is the kind of debt you must pay to the next generation.

    Reply

  50. My dad had a big voice and a big heart. As a child I feared the voice. As a grandmother, I miss that heart. We grew to be great friends before he left us.

    Bless you for the post.

    Reply

  52. Sounds a great guy and reminded me that I always say that absolutely everything I am and do comes after being a Dad. The most important yet nicest thing I’ve ever had to do. Sounds to me like he loved his family every bit as much as you love him.

    Reply

  56. I cried reading this. I have a great father and I knew how it feel losing him. I thank to God who has given me a great father ever!

    Reply

  59. I miss my daddy, too…
    Happy Father’s Day, Daddy!
    And I love you…

    “and ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation.” —kahil gibran

    Reply

  60. Beautiful memories. To me to remember a love one always have to be this way. Reaching all those memories to bring again that sweet aroma. I’m glad you did this list. i’m thinking on doing one myself. My Daddy is 61 on Sunday, yeah…double gift! He is so funny, loves movies, likes to eat cookies, bread, soda, rice, and noodles. He is just like 5 things already. I’m thinking seriously. Thanks for the idea!
    ~Great Article!! Thanks for sharing!
    ~Great Love to you,
    Mirian from peelingtheorange.

    Reply

  62. I’m sorry for your loss… He really did seem like the worlds best dad… Makes me think how much I take my dad for granted…

    I Thank you for showing me how special and priceless fathers really are…

    Reply
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  64. Your dad looked like a very sweet and funny guy!
    I got this fuzzy feeling inside while reading your piece! 😀 and no, it wasn’t heartburn.

    Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  69. I don’t remember it’s father’s day, but I wrote a poem for my dad. I’m sure he reads it from up above.

    Reply

  70. I am missing my dad too! He died last year and I just experienced this Mother’s Day with the death of my mom. She died 4 months after him. Sixty years of marriage… you can’t beat having a great set of parents. With love and memories to everyone.

    Reply

  71. My dad passed away two weeks ago today, on June 4th. Father’s Day is something I’ve been dreading. Thank you for a beautiful post.

    Reply

  72. That was a very beautiful post. Your dad sounded like a giant ball of life, and that’s a pretty rare thing. I’m sure he’s smiling down at you remembering the times you’ve had together. And I adored the poem, I could relate completely. It gave me a new perspective about Fathers’ Day because I never liked it much. He died when I was 10. But the good thing about fathers is that they live on… in us. Have a great day! 🙂

    Reply

  77. I’m sincerely sorry for your loss. It must have been tough for you to sum such great, strong words about your father (let alone, recollecting all those loving memories about your father). I simply wanted to pat you on your head (or back >_<) to tell you that you are a courageous person to leave a great impression on readers like us. I too will be spending my first day without my father on Father's Day…& this Sunday will be his first 100 days that he had passed away.
    Bless your heart & family darling!

    Reply

  78. This is beautiful! I lost my dad a little over 2 years ago and I completely understand what you are going through. I had done a blog on my dad during his anniversary a few months ago and had not thought about doing one to remember him for Father’s Day…thank you for inspiring me. Take care of yourself and my thoughts are with you and your family this weekend!

    Reply

  81. nice post… so inspirational!! it’s awesome!!
    May his soul rest in abode of peace and mercy!!

    Reply

  82. Nice Post. I too will be remembering my Father on Father’s Day! He Passed away 6 months ago.. I cherish all the memories I have of him.

    Reply

  84. I lost my dad 5 months ago today. I miss him more than I can express. Loved your memories about your dad – he sounds like a great guy. My dad had an “odd” sense of humor and was the most nonjudgemental person I ever knew. I didn’t get to say goodbye and that hurts the worst.

    Reply

  85. Thanks for this. Since losing my father five years ago, I have to say I dread Father’s Day. It used to be the day I’d arrive in California for a fun-filled summer visiting him. The last day I saw him was Father’s Day of 2005. One day I’ll be able to look positively on the day again. It’s refreshing to see others have made that evolution.
    -Marcella

    Reply

    1. Thank you, Marcella!
      Very, very sorry for your loss.
      When I grew weary from the feeling of loss, I was finally able to celebrate my father’s amazing life!
      Still miss him everyday!
      Please know that your dad is always smiling over your shoulder!
      Have a blessed weekend.

      Reply

  87. This is so great. Thank you for sharing your memories and stories about your dad. Such love. I’m lucky, I still have my dad – and he’s much like yours. He has a life-size oil paiting of John Wayne in his man cave. I was on the phone one night (high school) and was called to dinner. Kept talking. Next thing I knew, he was right beside me, with the phone cord in his hand. (No plug-ins back then). All he said was, “Come to dinner”. Craps, same story. Thank you!

    Reply

  88. Mine passed on 8 years ago on 19th of june.. and the memories remain. Its one of those things that one never quite gets over…have a good fathers day cherishing the fond memories he has left behind. 🙂 Take care.

    Reply

  89. Wonderful tribute, thanks so much for sharing, was nice stumbling upon this as my dad passed from cancer June 12, 2009 and it is still a bit fresh yet. We had his memorial on Father’s day last year, we are just trying to get over this milestone and this was actually just what I needed. Thank you so much.

    Reply

  91. that is awesome that you have so many great memories of him! He sounds like he was quite the character!

    Reply

  93. I am reading your post while on vacation with my children. While my siblings and I are blessed to have our father still on Earth, your posts reminds me precious life is!

    More importantly, your post reminds me of the importance of the little things. In your your post you described it as the funny things, but I like to think that those are the real things that make a good daddy!

    He most have been a special man!

    Reply

  94. What a great post. My dad died in 1995 and like you said, there isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about him or miss him. You’ve inspired me to give it a try and write about my own dad this weekend. Thank you for that and thank you for sharing!

    Reply

  96. My dad just died this last November, a week to the day before my husband, both of cancer. This is a tough Father’s Day to get thru. I think I would like to make a list of the things I remember best about my dad.
    Leigh

    Reply

  98. What a truly wonderful Dad! My heart goes out to you and wishes there was some way of having contact with the great people that fill our lives and are gone way too soon, but sadly, there is nothing we can do except hold tight to the memories. This was a beautiful tribute to your Dad. Thanks for sharing him with us.

    Reply

  99. very touching.. this is my first father’s day without my Dad so its really tough on me. im a 4 hr plane ride to my mom and siblings, and my husband is at a bachelor party.. so its me myself and i 🙂

    it was really nice to read this though.

    Reply

  100. This is such a sweet post. Your dad sounds like so much fun and caring. I am glad you still cherish his memory.

    -Ada

    Reply

  101. Good one 🙂 Love the You Never poem- so organic to the way I feel about my dad. It’s like I write that exact poem in my heart everyday. It’s been almost six years since I lost my father and Father’s Day is still so surreal, but this post made me think of all really small things about him that made him larger than life.

    Reply

  102. As my own dad reaches his mortality.. he’s ill with a lung disease and we where recently told there is nothing more to do.. I read your blog posting and it just reminded me the many memories I have of spending time with my dad.. and the luxury that I have to know.. I still have some time to spend be it short.

    lovely post.

    Reply

  106. Sounds like a fantastic dad. I’ll be remembering my dad as well this Father’s Day. He passed a way three years ago. Thanks for the post. It made me go back in time to the good old times.

    R.

    Reply

be nice.

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