I miss my father, and I miss my daughter’s father, who died just short of our 35th.

I’ve always liked the bittersweet “Cat’s Cradle,” which to me marks a fact of reality that has to be accepted, stated with understanding and with regret but not rancor. “Now that I’m a father myself, I see why we had less time together than I wanted.”

That, by the way, is also how I feel about my mother.

Back in the day, it was said that more collect calls were placed on that day than any other day of the year. (How many Millennials know what a collect call is?).

I’ve seen the complaint from those in evangelical congregations that that’s the Sunday set aside for the “Cats in the Cradle” sermon. The complaint you see about Catholic parishes is that it’s just ignored. (Come to think of it, it was neither mentioned in the homily nor the bulletin yesterday).

You’re welcome! I love that poem.

And congratulations to you, your lovely wife, and all the couples who’ve had the fortune (the skill?) to get to the big five-oh and beyond.

When my grandchildren were born I told my son that I was finally glad that I didn’t kill him when he was a teenager…..and it was very close several times! (He became a doctor so I actually have a few more reasons to be glad.)

My lovely wife and I celebrated our 50th last Friday. The real secret to long marriage is to marry someone who you can’t figure out why she would marry someone like you. I still can’t figure it out.

Thank you to all the dads out there who do what you do for the love of children who often forget to express their gratitude, and the wives (like me) who sometimes express our expectations (uh… maybe “nags” is a better word…) instead of our deep sense of the honor of parenting with you.

My husband is an astoundingly good father to our three – this despite having had exactly zero decent male role models growing up. He (unlike me) always knows when to stop advising (um… I think I again mean “nagging”) and start listening and comforting. AND he brings home the bacon without cavil through thick and thin, AND he never fails to create a wholesome and fun family life that makes our kids and their friends want to hang out with us. He is the center of our household (he doesn’t believe me when I tell him that, but it is 100% true) and it has been a privilege and a joy for me to be married to him for this quarter century. Looking forward to the next 25!

We have 3 children in stable relationships, with 8 grandchildren and a 9th due in November. We all lost one in a still birth 2 years ago, but she is a part of our family to this very day. Proud to be a father and thoroughly enjoying being a grandpa. I am blessed with a beautiful companion, loving children, and the pleasure/treasure of grandchildren.

Life is good.

True. Where I live there aren’t that many brunches for the day compared to Mother’s Day.

I strive. We strive. Happy Father’s day, papa.

We’re about to hit 29…My folks made 60 & I think that’s a great target to start shooting for. My 3 girls & fabulous wife make fatherhood & husbandhood a joy.

Father’s Day where I currently live is in September…so I’ll enjoy all the celebrations now in anticipation of my own in a couple months’ time.

Oh…and just a word to all the dads who live a lifetime of “love’s austere and lonely offices;” you matter & your love for your family makes a difference to the shape of the world the rest of us get to live in. Thank you.