A Letter to the Fatherless

(Note from Pastor Don: I am not in the pulpit this Sunday, but I would like to share with you this reading which has been passed on to me.) Happy Father's Day to the living and a smile to those we remember and love. PD

A LETTER TO THE FATHERLESS

Although it was my 48-year-old mother who I lost just two years ago when I was 24, I felt compelled to write a letter to the “fatherless” on Father’s Day just as I did A Letter To The Motherless On Mother’s Day. I believe that the loss of a parent is one of the hardest things to endure, even more so when you lose your parent early in life. Fathers sometimes get overlooked and I believe that both parents, mother and father, each play different roles in our lives. Though some may say there is no bond in this world as strong as there is between a mother and her child, I believe a father’s love means just as much to most of us. Today, Father’s Day, will just be another painful reminder that your dad is no longer here. As much as you want this day to just be over, it really is the perfect day for you to honor his life. Don’t think about things to come that he will miss, instead think about all he has seen in the time you had him with you. Remember back to when you were younger and you looked up to him. Remember when you thought there was no better man in this world than him? Well, there still isn’t. Your father will never leave your side as long as you keep him in your heart, where he will forever stay. He did not want to leave you, he never wanted to leave you for he needed you just as much as you needed him. Today, he does not want to see you sad, for he would want nothing more than to see you smile, see you live, see you succeed. I have come to find that the best way to heal is to remember. Remember him. Remember the pain of losing him, remember the love you both shared, remember everything. Talk to him, he’s always listening. And more than anything be grateful that you had a wonderful man in your life that you were able to call Dad. Today, if you feel sorrowful, look into your heart and find peace in all the love he left behind. Happy Father’s Day to all of the “fatherless” out there. Today is your day too. Celebrate him, remember him, honor him, and most of all smile for him. By Jenna Rose Lowthert