Catoctin Kids

by Anita DiGregory In Honor of Fathers On June 18, America will celebrate Father’s Day, a day devoted to our dedicated dads.  Although widely celebrated today, surprisingly, Father’s Day was not always embraced by society. In fact, it did not receive its designation as an official holiday until the early 20th century, when it was established as a complement to Mother’s Day. According to History.com, the first organized day of recognition for fathers was celebrated in the state of Washington on June 19, 1910, when Sonora Smart Dodd, a Spokane woman, went to local community leaders in an attempt to establish a day of celebration for fathers in honor of her father, a single parent of six. However, it took sixty-two years for it to become an official holiday, and even then faced some controversy. President Woodrow Wilson had already approved in 1914 a resolution to establish Mother’s Day. This day, set in honor of “that tender, gentle army, the mothers of America,” was enthusiastically embraced, having already been celebrated in forty-five states since 1909. After Dodd’s 1910 celebration, the idea of Father’s Day slowly increased in popularity, despite thoughts that some dads lacked the sentimentality or interest in a day of honor for them. In 1924, President Calvin Coolidge advised local governments to institute this day of honor for dads. During the Great Depression, U.S. retailers struggling to make ends meet launched campaigns in support of Father’s Day and promoted the necessary card and gift purchases to go along with it. With World War II, Father’s Day took on another meaning, becoming synonymous not just with the support of our fathers, but also with the American soldier, many of whom were honored dads. Finally, in 1972, Father’s Day became a national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed the federal proclamation. In honor of Father’s Day, I would like to give a shout-out to all dads out there. Your role as father is sacred, special, and super important.  It is not easy and certainly not glamorous, but it is monumental; in choosing to get up each day and face your struggles and be there and provide, you shape lives. Your silent sacrifices, devotion to your family, and commitment to being the man you are called to be, is what shapes communities and motivates today’s youth to be equally as inspiring. So, in honor of my dad (a perpetual list maker), my husband (an amazing and inspiring father and also a list maker) and all dads out there, I have included some Happy Father’s Day Lists, featuring quotes, favorite Dad movies, and things you can do in honor of Father’s Day. Fun and Inspiring Quotes about Dads “A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society.”  —Billy Graham “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up with the training and instruction of the Lord.”  —Ephesians 6:4 “When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”  —Mark Twain “By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.”  —Charles Wadsworth “I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.”  —Sigmund Freud “Having children is like living in a frat house—nobody sleeps, everything’s broken, and there’s a lot of throwing up.”  —Ray Romano “When I hear people talk about juggling, or the sacrifices they make for their children, I look at them like they’re crazy, because ‘sacrifice’ infers that there was something better to do than being with your children.”  —Chris Rock  “Fatherhood is not a matter of station or wealth. It is a matter of desire, diligence and determination to see one’s family exalted in the celestial kingdom. If that prize is lost, nothing else really matters.”  —Ezra Taft Benson “It’s like you have a child and you think, ‘Everything that I’ve done up until this point is insignificant in comparison to being a father.’ It’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.”  —Vin Diesel “Every night before I get my one hour of sleep, I have the same thought: ‘Well, that’s a wrap on another day of acting like I know what I’m doing.’ I wish I were exaggerating, but I’m not. Most of the time, I feel entirely unqualified to be a parent. I call these times being awake.”  —Jim Gaffigan   Favorite Movies About Dads Here are some great movies to watch with Dad: Father of the Bride; Three Men and A Baby; The Goofy Movie; Hotel Transylvania; Meet the Robinsons; Finding Nemo; Mrs. Doubtfire; RV; We Bought a Zoo; and Dan in Real Life.   Things You Can Do for Dad in Honor of Father’s Day Clean the car inside and out (yes, that includes getting all of the old French fries and Cheerios out from under the seats), do the yardwork, clean out the garage, clean out the clutter and have a yard sale, surrender the remote, serve him breakfast in bed, go to church with him, take him fishing, go hiking together, plan a family day trip or getaway, work on a household project together, run a 5K with him, go biking, or attend a sporting event together. Listen to him and have fun together. But above all, spend time with him!