Today was a beautiful Father’s Day. We started the day off with blue sky and sunshine. We went to church and I enjoyed the service. Thomas’ family were ushers and the children enjoyed their duties. Our grandchildren love their daddy and gave him sweet homemade cards at breakfast. I loved my daddy and being the only girl in a family with three boys, he spoiled me. I know it now but didn’t realize growing up how spoiled I was. My brothers remind me often, though. They are still mad about all the hay bailing they did to pay for my Conn constellation trumpet. They love me, though, and I love and appreciate them.

I’m up here in Peachtree City babysitting my grandchildren. I’m having a wonderful visit. Chubby, technology challenged, small town grandmaw slap dab in a fully automated house! I can’t even turn on the TV without help. I couldn’t even turn all the lights off when it was bedtime tonight without my oldest grandchild’s help. Alexander will train me tomorrow! At least when I ask them for help I never get the Shady Oak lecture. They just laugh and help me. All three of them are fine little fellas.

Sonora Smart Dodd is credited with Father’s Day, celebrating the day for the first time in 1910 in Spokane, Washington. Dodd and her five siblings were raised by her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran. Research says Dodd was inspired to create a day to honor fathers after she attended a Mother’s Day service at church. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson officially designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Fathers and father figures were known as the protector, the provider, and the disciplinarian of the family. In today’s world, the mother figures also fulfill these roles.

My grandchildren and I were talking about our fathers tonight before we went to bed and I asked them to write a sentence or two to describe their daddy. Here are the words they wrote. I didn’t correct or help them. They were seriously speaking from their hearts.

“I love my dad because he’s always by my side and makes my life feel like a fairytale. My dad taught me how to do a lot of stuff like fishing. Now when I cast my rod it will go so far into the lake and that shows how far my love is for him. If I can have one day with my dad all I would want to do is to never leave his side like he never leaves mine. I love him so much with my heart. I would do anything just for him to be happy,” — Handley

“I love my dad because he is so helpful to me in everything I do. He is an out of this world dad and supports me in everything I do. My dad also has taught me many valuable lessons that I will remember for the rest of my life and I don’t know what I’d do if he was not my dad. He is the #1 dad in the whole wide world and is awesome,” — Alexander

“Well, I don’t have much to say but I’ll just say I love my dad because he always thinks about how much potential I have at anything and is always is so proud of me for what I have done for his life. I have completely changed his life (I hope) by just being the child I have been to him. But, he takes care of us by tucking us in at night, and feeding us. I just want to let you know that I love you because of how wonderful a dad you have been to me. Thank you for everything.” — Emerson

“Blessed indeed is the man who hears many gentle voices call him father,” — Lydia Marie Child