Happy Father's Day!

Good morning peeps!

In the UK today it is Father's Day.

Those of us with old-fashioned values tend to call Mother's Day, the celebration of mothers,  'Mothering Sunday'. This originates from the sixteenth century when people returned to their 'Mother Church' for a special service. In later years it became the custom for those 'in service' (probably at 'the big house') to be given the day off to visit their own mothers.

However, 'Father's Day' was inaugurated in the 1920's in the United States to complement Mother's Day. A quick 'google' tells me that this is a 'commercial' festival - and that presents me with a huge problem ......

You will all be familiar by now with my hatred of shopping, advertising and commercialism. Since I cut those out of my life, I have been so much happier. So how could I honour my own father without resorting to buying those over-priced cards and  ridiculous presents that will only sit in a drawer?

Here's how......

Daddy,

In our family, we've never been ones to show much physical affection or tell each other 'I love you' but I just wanted to say, on this Father's Day, how lucky Jane and I are to have you as our daddy.

Thank you for all the times you have sat through dancing shows, school prize-giving, Sports Days and the time I got a medal for 'standing in a line on the stage'.

Thank you for all the times you have driven us hundreds of miles for dancing exams and competitions.

Thank you for picking us up from the school disco on the dot of 10 p.m.

Thank you for understanding when, at the age of 18, I announced that I was going off around the world on cruise ships to fulfil my dream.

Thank you for picking me up at ungodly hours from airports when I was on shore leave from said cruise ships!

Thank you for helping me decorate my first little tiny house.

Thank you for giving me my dream wedding. My only regret in life is that I couldn't keep my family together when you made such big sacrifices to keep yours intact.

Thank you for coming all the way to Holland to see your first grandson, even though there were more tubes and wires than baby!

Thank you for picking up the pieces when my marriage failed.

Thank you for being there when my beloved Samuel Spaniel was put to sleep.

Thank you for being 'Bank of mum and dad' in emergencies.

In short, thank you for everything - I love you.
xxxxxxxxxxxx