God bless our fathers*

(Author's Note: Father's Day, this year, is observed/celebrated on Sunday, June 19, 2016. Father's Day dates back to June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. When Sonora Dodd was born, her mother died leaving her dad, Mr. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, to take care of his six children. Honoring her father's sacrifices, love, and dedication to raising his family alone, Dodd spearheaded the campaign to create the first Father's Day. Because of its popularity, Father's Day is officially celebrated annually on the third Sunday in June, with President Lyndon B. Johnson's proclamation in 1966. However, in 1977, President Nixon made the celebration a permanent part of our country's annual festivities to show the fathers and grandfathers how much they're appreciated for all they have done for their family.)

Happy Father's Day! I humbly dedicate this poem of mine to all fathers and grandfathers everywhere.

Today is a special day
To honor and pay tribute to you
Father---our role model,
Who sets a good example
For us to follow and emulate.

When we're down and troubled,
You're there to lend a hand.
You cheer us up and brighten our day,
You comfort us and give us company,
And inspire us with your life story.

You guide us and strengthen us,
Protect us from worries and anxieties,
Teach us life's wonders and mysteries,
Life's uncertainties, changes and challenges.

Father, we thank you
For the life and love, joy and patience
You share with us each and every day
And the support you provide us
Into our home, our family...

From Psalm 103:13, we read, "A father has compassion on his children..."

From church bulletin, I remember these lines: "A father loves his children, just as they are. He cares enough to give the very best---himself. When they're in trouble, he's there to help. When they need wisdom, he offers counsel. When they have successes, he rejoices with them. When they make mistakes, he forgives. He recognizes his strength comes not from human sources, but from Heaven's grace."

A father is God's representative. "God bless father," we pray. Why? Because if we want something, "Ask Father!" He is the source, the supplier, the giver (or refuser) of everything we ask of or expect from a father: to smooth our path, to raise for us a mountain from which to hurl our dreams, to build us a shelter against the harms of life.

We need encouragement and enrichment that only a father can give or provide. He is the channel of both the necessities and the fun things in life, like sports and games, travel, road trips and other activities that are a source of fun and enjoyment.

These enrichments and encouragements we seek from Dad or Papa with love. God bless our fathers and grandfathers!

-Chris A. Quilpa, a retired U.S. Navy veteran, lives in Suffolk. Email him at chris.a.quilpa@gmail.com.

*Appeared in the Opinion page of the award-winning Suffolk News-Herald, Friday, June 17, 2016. For more information, visit www.suffolknewsherald.com.