As most people around the world know, yesterday was Father's Day.  Although it is in truth a "Hallmark" holiday, it is nonetheless a day worth thinking about and celebrating.  It's a time to think about and, we hope, celebrate our fathers and, if we are fathers ourselves, to think about what that means and, we hope, to celebrate being one.  All of us are aware, of course, that not everyone has had a positive experience with his or her father, and for this I am very, very sorry.  Moreover, all of us fathers out there have regrets, some a few, some many, about the manner in which we raised (or are still raising) our children.  None of us is perfect.
     I lost my father, very unexpectedly, many decades ago, to a heart attack.  It was shocking then, and it still is today.  Why did Dad have to go so soon?  Happily, however, I have many, many wonderful memories of my father.  I owe so much to him, not just for taking care of me materially, which he did in abundance, but even more for being such a splendid picture of what life could be.  Dad embodied for me life's astonishing potential, communicating about and encouraging me to consider the nearly endless possibilities of existence.  With Dad behind me, I felt as if I could do anything.  His simple words, "Do your best," still resonate with me today.  He was a father, yes, but he was also a friend, a friend whom I miss every single day.
     I am so thankful to God for Dad, so grateful that he and Mom had me, so overwhelmed that God's loving vision bequeathed such a wonderful human being.  Having had Dad in my life underscores for me that although life can be thoroughly confusing, it is nonetheless a fountain of immeasurable joy.  The world is gloriously greater than itself.
     Thanks, God, for Dad, and thanks, Dad, for being my Dad.