Tomorrow is Father’s day, a day that I treasure and hold very close to my heart. To me, nothing can ever take away the privilege and responsibility of being a Dad, it is the title I value more than any other.

There is a saying that says “Any fool can father a child, but it takes someone remarkable to be a Dad” clichéd? Absolutely, but who cares. The fact is that this world is suffering from many challenges one of the greatest being a lack of Fathers. Men who rise to the challenge, embrace the call and purposefully commit their lives to raising a child.

This involves sacrifice, it may involve some pain, it involves placing your needs behind those of your sons and daughters, but it also involves the sheer joy and blessing of knowing that you get a shot at sowing something powerful into the world, something that can right the wrongs, wipe away the tears and create a more beautiful tomorrow. That something is a son or daughter, forged and reinforced with the knowledge that they are loved by their Daddy, and confident in the fact that he will always love and be there for them, whether in person or in legacy.

I want to write about my Dad, in many ways he believes he didn’t have that great a role in raising me, he may believe he provided and my mom did the raising, he may even believe deep down that the man I am becoming is not entirely linked to the example he gave as a husband and father. But at the center of my foundation, at the core of my soul, lies a special place, a place reserved for him. That place stands as a tribute to the man he was and is, and I know, for better or worse, I became because he gave!

This man has done nothing but support me and my decisions for as long as I can remember. This is the man who looked into his 21-year-old son’s eyes when he said he wanted to get married and gave his complete support. Even when many thought it was mad that I was getting married while still studying I never felt anything but his trust in me that I knew what I was doing.

This is the man who supported me through university and helped provide for me until I was able to provide for myself.

This is the man who placed me in Christian schools, schools that awakened a desire to know more about my creator and provided opportunities to meet friends that were vital to the formation of the Christian man I am and want to become. What is most amazing, is that he did so, not because he wanted me to believe, but because he wanted me to have the choice.

This is the man who is more encouraging than any other at our decision as a family to adopt, wanting to know more about the process and genuinely showing interest in something that is so close to our hearts.

This is the man who shows genuine love for his grandson, my son, never ending a phone call without asking that I give him a cuddle.

This is the man who sacrificed long hours at work so we could have an education that he believed we deserved.

This is the man whom I can’t remember ever buying himself anything while I was growing up, just so we could have all we needed.

This is the man who made me feel safe when I thought there were “baddies” outside. If I could hear him in his office while I was going bed, I always fell asleep with a peace that only comes from knowing, I am safe!

This is the man who would listen to music while braaing that has resulted in me being part of a select few, who at my age still know what good music is 🙂

Even if I never heard the words, one thing I cannot say is that I grew up never seeing love in action.

Psalm 127:3 to 5, says:

This man is real, not perfect, but he is MY Dad, and I love him. HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, LOVE ME.