Reel Urban News Father’s Day 2017
Father’s Day is a recognition and appreciation of the importance of fathers, and while the day’s origins are vague, the idea remains strong: a father’s love is as important and essential as a mother’s love.
I have enjoyed a father’s love my entire life. Dad’s name is Charles, and he was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. He, too, received the love of a father – for 46 years of his life.
Growing up, my parents played the “traditional” roles of a man and woman in a household. My father worked and provided for our family while my mother, who sometimes worked outside the home, cared for my sisters and I. Our family rarely sat down at the dinner table together and discussed how our day went. I don’t have memories of my dad reading me bedtime stories at night …
… but I felt my father’s love in so many ways.
Foundation. Every Sunday, and many other days, our family spent the day at church. My dad sang in the choir, his signature baritone echoing throughout the halls of the church. He continues to demonstrate what faith in God really means. A faithful servant through all of his health challenges over the past few years, he’s never lost his hope, and he continues to give praise and thanks to God.
Time. My dad worked from sunup to sundown, six days a week. But he made the most of his time with his family. Whether it was going to church or on our annual weeklong vacations, my dad made sure that his family had experiences that he did not have as a child. He will now make jokes about his children and all of his grandchildren leaving his house when it’s time to go home, but I can see the joy he experiences when all of us are around.
Compassion. My dad’s compassion for others was never more evident than a few months ago when – days after tragedy struck – he held my niece with tears streaming down his face. That moment, when you just want to take all the pain away from a loved one, that was it. He wanted to do that for his daughter, and for his grandkids.
Trust and Independence. My dad never shied away from a good debate or argument. He would declare his accuracy loud and proud. He liked to be in charge, and by that I mean, don’t think you were going to hop into the driver’s seat during a road trip. But I did. He bought furniture that needed to be assembled, and somehow my role was to help him put it together. We’d argue about the correct way, but ultimately he’d trust me to just “Read the directions, SYD!” He waited patiently in the chapel as he prepared to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day, which he did confidently. The smile on his face is forever etched in my memory.
So, to you Dad on this Father’s Day – thank you for the foundation, thank you for the time, the compassion, the trust and independence, and most of all, the love you’ve shown and continue to show in so many ways.
And I know that Erin adores you, Courtney adores you, Nicci adores you, Kisha adores you, Tameka adores you, all of our kids, and Mommy too, but I wanted to let you know that I adore you, and I’m grateful that I have been blessed with your love in my life.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad.
