Father's Day

Sunday, June 17, 2012 is Father’s Day. This is a day set aside to honor fathers, but exactly what is a father? Any idiot can be a father. It takes a lot more to be a Dad.

A father, in my opinion and experience, has two primary responsibilities - to protect and provide. Responsibility seems to be missing in a lot of men I know or know about.

If there is a person that is often misunderstood more than anyone you know, it is dear old Dad. All he does is work and try to keep the children from doing anything that is fun. There’s a reason for that. It is because it is an awesome challenge to protect and provide.

A few years ago, Reba McEntire recorded a song about the Greatest Man I Never Knew, written by Richard C. Leigh and Layng Martine, Jr. The lyrics to that song are below. Look at the words and remember, to protect and provide.

"The greatest man I never knew
Lived just down the hall And everyday we said hello
But never touched at all
He was in his paper
I was in my room
How was I to know he thought I hung the moon

The greatest man I never knew
Came home late every night
He never had too much to say
Too much was on his mind
I never really knew him
And now it seems so sad
Everything he gave to us took all he had

Then the days turned into years
And the memories to black and white
He grew cold like an old winter wind
Blowing across my life

The greatest words I never heard
I guess I'll never hear
The man I thought could never die
S'been dead almost a year
He was good at business
But there was business left to do
He never said he loved me
Guess he thought I knew"

Do you understand now? When you think about your Dad, remember a real Father gives all he has.

It’s what Dad’s do.