Fathers, Dad, Poppas come in all sizes, colors and ages. Unlike Mother's Day which was, more or less, the obsession of a woman, Anna Jarvis, grieving for her mother who passed away, Father's Day started on a "healthier" note.
Father's Day was first celebrated on June 19, 1910, about two years after Mother's Day began to be celebrated. It was a modest beginning, as most of these things go. Sonora Smart Dodd held a held a small celebration at a YMCA in Spokane, Washington, to honor her father, Civil War veteran, William Jackson Smart, who raised six children as a single parent. He was left alone to raise six kids when his wife died in childbirth with the last one.
Sonora wanted the event to be close to June 5th which was the date of her father's death, but problems with planning pushed it back to the third Sunday in June and there it stayed.
Father's Day was first celebrated on June 19, 1910, about two years after Mother's Day began to be celebrated. It was a modest beginning, as most of these things go. Sonora Smart Dodd held a held a small celebration at a YMCA in Spokane, Washington, to honor her father, Civil War veteran, William Jackson Smart, who raised six children as a single parent. He was left alone to raise six kids when his wife died in childbirth with the last one.
Sonora wanted the event to be close to June 5th which was the date of her father's death, but problems with planning pushed it back to the third Sunday in June and there it stayed.
There's a competing story about the humble beginnings of Father's Day. In Fairmont, West Virginia on July 5, 1908 (shortly after the first Mother's Day was celebrated), Grace Clayton recommended to the minister of the community's Methodist church that they hold services to commemorate the fathers who were killed in a mine explosion that killed 361 men.
As is typical, Father's Day was an unofficial celebration in communities across the country until 1924 when President Coolidge recommended that Father Day's become a national holiday, but there was no official action.
It wasn't until 1966 that President Johnson designated that the third Sunday in June was the official day to celebrate Dads! He did it by executive order, but it wasn't until 1972 that it became a national holiday.
It wasn't until 1966 that President Johnson designated that the third Sunday in June was the official day to celebrate Dads! He did it by executive order, but it wasn't until 1972 that it became a national holiday.
Dads are one of a kind, aren't they? I mean, look at all of them on television from the time I was growing up until now.
I was always partial to Sheriff Taylor and his son, Opie. It was just so sweet and Sheriff Taylor wasn't a bumbling idiot or so naive that he was not to be believed. He was just a middle-of-the-road country Dad with "horse sense" about most people, but he just could not see how much Helen loved him.. My next favorite was Howard Cunningham of Happy Days. He felt genuine to me and I loved his relationship with his wife, Marion. "Mr. C" was a father figure to many kids, just as it was in my home.
Ward Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver), Jim Anderson (Father Knows Best) and Steve Douglas (My Three Sons) were a bit too "disengaged" emotionally until it was time to "deliver a lesson".
There are animated Dads and movie Dads. Some of the actors who played Father roles on television and the big screen have disappointed, and yes, even disgusted us with their "real-life" troubles. That just goes to show you that even Dads are vulnerable to making bad decisions. The same goes for Moms.
I was always partial to Sheriff Taylor and his son, Opie. It was just so sweet and Sheriff Taylor wasn't a bumbling idiot or so naive that he was not to be believed. He was just a middle-of-the-road country Dad with "horse sense" about most people, but he just could not see how much Helen loved him.. My next favorite was Howard Cunningham of Happy Days. He felt genuine to me and I loved his relationship with his wife, Marion. "Mr. C" was a father figure to many kids, just as it was in my home.
Ward Cleaver (Leave it to Beaver), Jim Anderson (Father Knows Best) and Steve Douglas (My Three Sons) were a bit too "disengaged" emotionally until it was time to "deliver a lesson".
There are animated Dads and movie Dads. Some of the actors who played Father roles on television and the big screen have disappointed, and yes, even disgusted us with their "real-life" troubles. That just goes to show you that even Dads are vulnerable to making bad decisions. The same goes for Moms.
So, lets celebrate our Dads. The ones who were there from the beginning, the ones who joined in later, the ones who are waiting for their children to be born, the ones who are gone and left their love in our hearts and the ones we chose for ourselves. I hope all of you are as lucky as I was to have a truly great Dad who taught me what I needed to know. Love you, Dad.
Ta ta for now, Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch
Ta ta for now, Claudia
Join me on Facebook at Dr. Claudia McCulloch
