When you’re a young girl, you don’t see the hidden parts of fatherhood. You only see the curfew-enforcer, boyfriend-inspector, clothing-objector, bank-teller side of a father. It takes a few years to truly appreciate the profound traits of a father. Not every man has these traits; not every father bestows his gift of unconditional love on his children. But mine did and one day I stopped to put those feelings to paper. It came out something like this:

Remembering

what I remember of you:

not power yielded from a fierce hand,

or Fortune gained with a keen mind,

or Glory bestowed on a strong body:

But rather

Guidance from a generous hand

Discipline wrought with a discerning mind,

Devotion measured in tireless footsteps

down a narrow path.

Mostly remembering

a Heart that sought after your Father God.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad! You truly are the BEST!

~a