Our Fathers

            Tomorrow is Father’s Day, a day when Americans traditionally honor their fathers. However, my thoughts in recent days have been on Heavenly Father, the Father of our spirits. I find it interesting that He chooses to be called Father when there are so many other names that He could have chosen. I am grateful for my knowledge that He lives and that He knows each one of His children. I am grateful to know that He has a plan for us as a whole to return to His presence when our lives on earth are over. I am also grateful to know that He has a plan for me as an individual and that He helps me to make the best decisions to enable me to succeed with His plan.

            My thoughts have also been with my earthly father. He passed away in 1995 at age 88, so I have been without him in my life for more than 14 years. I miss him greatly, and I try to live my life pleasing to him. I know that if I am pleasing my earthly father, then I am pleasing my Heavenly Father – and vice versa. I know that they both love me and want me to succeed.

            I am grateful for my husband, the father of my children. I am grateful for his willingness to provide for our family and to allow me to be a stay-at-home mother. I am grateful that he developed the necessary skills to earn good wages and that he made wise investment decisions, which are blessing our lives at the present time.

            I am grateful for my sons by birth and marriage, the fathers of my grandchildren. I am grateful that they are willing to provide for their families and allow their wives to be at home with the children. I am grateful that they recognize the importance of being in the lives of their children and that they take their fathering experience seriously. I am grateful for their abilities to be the breadwinners in their families as well as for the way that they interact with their children. I can see from these actions that they recognize that being a father to their children is much more important than anything that they can do in their careers.

            I take this opportunity to wish “Happy Father’s Day” to all the fathers in my life and the lives of my children and grandchildren as well as all other fathers. I hope that you are all treated royally because you deserve it!