This month I want to honor our dads since we celebrate Father’s Day in June. Summer is upon us and it’s a time to get together with family. This year will be a special year to gather since many people haven’t met with family in over a year due to the Pandemic. To honor dads, I thought it would be a great idea to send you off on a mission so you can answer this question: What do you know about your grandfather, great grandfather, or your great-great grandfather? I only know a little bit about my grandfathers and nothing about the previous generations. In the next few weeks, I encourage you to learn something about all of them. You will be amazed at what you will find out.
When I started writing my first book fifteen years ago and told my dad about it, he told me for the first time that my grandpa was also an author and that he had published about fifteen books in Nicaragua! I never knew that until then. And just a few weeks ago I found out that my mother’s ancestors (both paternal and maternal) went to Nicaragua from Andalucia, Spain. I didn’t know that either.
I never had grandfathers because my mom’s dad passed away when she was born so my mom never had a dad. My father’s dad passed away when I was born so I never met him either. Now that my husband is a grandfather, I see how much I missed as a child from never having grandfathers in my life. But I’m glad I’ve had my dad.
If your dad is no longer with you, I encourage you to honor his memory and do something this month that he would have enjoyed doing with you. If you still have your dad, reach out and spend quality time with him this month. If your dad lives far away and it’s not possible to see each other in person, then maybe you can meet virtually as we have been doing. The point is to reach out intentionally and to appreciate your dad.
My dad is now 94 and he lives in Nicaragua with my mom, so I don’t see him often, but we talk almost every day and right now I’m helping him publish his first book! It is a collection of paintings, some of which he’s painted in the last year, and thoughts that he likes from various authors. My dad is a composer and an attorney, and he has been successful at both the artistic side as well as in his profession. He just recently took on painting! I am proud of my dad!
Lastly, if you’ve never had a father or if your dad has been absent in your life, you have your heavenly Father who will always love you and be there for you…He is the “Father to the fatherless…” (Psalm 68:5).
To all of you who are fathers, thank you for all your hard work. Thank you for loving your family and for working hard to get ahead so your children can have bigger opportunities and a better future.
Happy Father’s Day!