My father passed away suddenly when I was 21.
That was almost 13 years ago.
Father’s Day has been weird ever since. Well, every day has been weird ever since.
This year though, instead of memorializing my father on Father’s Day—or more commonly, ignoring Father’s Day altogether—I posted something on Facebook that celebrated small things my father did for me when I was a kid.
After all, just because he is gone doesn’t take away the 21 years of love and support he continuously gifted me with. I am grateful for each and every moment I had with my patient, loving, kind, curious, creative, and humble father. He was a most nurturing father. Even though he usually got home from work after I fell asleep, we bonded like crazy on the weekend: Sabbath dinner, Sabbath lunch, watching Nick at Nite and Saturday Night Live together, the list goes on…
My favorite thing was to make him a construction paper card on Father’s Day, as well as on his birthday. I put my heart into it, genuinely thanked him for his love, support, and mentorship. I was open and vulnerable, because I knew he would embrace the card with warmth and deep appreciation. “Every day is Father’s Day!” He would gleefully respond when I handed him the construction paper card each year.
He loved kids, helped thousands of them, even into their adulthood—as a pediatric allergist. And my brother and I are the luckiest to be his kids.
My Facebook post:
Happy Father’s Day, Dad.
Thank you for coaching my softball team.
Thank you for waiting with me for the bus in the morning.
Thank you for cutting peppers for my snack and for that time you drove them to school when I forgot them.
Happy Father’s Day, Dad.
You are forever alive in my heart.
Mindful Nuggets 