Today's Chat: 100th father's day

By SAVANNAH CUNNICK

In 1909 is when it all began in the state of Washington when Sonora Smart Dodd came up with the idea of honoring and celebrating her father while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in church. The first Father's Day event was held on June 19, 1910.

I apologize that this article came out AFTER Father's Day...but only a few days off and I want all you fellows out there to know how important you are ! So, c'mon let's keep going....

During 1924 President Calvin Coolidge recommended that Father's Day become a National Holiday. But not until 1972 did President Nixon officially recognize it as such. Father's Day is celebrated throughout the world but on different dates. In Germany, the men drink ALL that day at beer gardens.

Deadbeat dads designated day is April's Fool Day.
How do we recognize a Dad on Father's Day? He's the one with the new tie !! Some of the most popular gifts for Poppa have been: wallets, socks, slippers, soap-on-a-rope, cologne, b-b-q tools and on and on.

Uncle Festus' kids got him a case of beer...with a card: From your half-pints. He also got a pillow for his favorite chair that says: STAY OFF ! Cousin Pete got a pair of earplugs for when the grand kids come over. Cousin Clyde got a Mr.-Fix-It shirt and a fishing hat that reads: Have a CRAPPY day.

My brother Chester got a Lord of the Grill apron and a jacket with: Luke, I am your FATHER. (Actually, I always thought Yoda would make a better Dad.)
Aunt Sara got her husband an extra pair of golf socks in case he got a Hole-In-One.

Other cute relative cards read: Thank-You for babysitting my hamster last week....A new rendition of Beans, Beans the Musical Fruit....To my Football Hero...
To my favorite Story-Teller....or To my Super Money Lender....Keep Calm, Dad we found the remote...Poppa needs some ME-TIME.

Cousin Clarence says he remembers the day his dad's Festus boss told him to to have a nice day....so Festus went home. ( Typical for my uncle.)

MY FATHER was quite a character. I was Daddy's Girl. He took me to all the baseball and basketball games at Ohio State. He was left-handed and taught me how to fish, pitch baseball, shoot pool, and dunk basketballs...Even though I was right-handed...it all worked out to my advantage.

Having been an Army Medic during World War II...Dad came home and earned his college degree while working a full-time job. He was a marvelous
mathematician and finally convinced me that there IS a reason for algebra and geometry. He enjoyed watching All in The Family, Hee-Haw and lots of Football. He planned great vacations. Almost every summer we went fishing up at Rice Lake, Canada. Once he fell out of the boat while trying to untangle a stringer of fish...boy, did I yell, cry and howl that : My Daddy is gonna drown...help him...while my Mom and Sis sat in the boat. Thankfully, Dad climbed out of the Lake. Right then and there I knew my life would never be the same if I ever lost him. Years later, I got married and gave him two little grandsons...who were robbed of knowing their grandpa for very long. Dad passed away from bone cancer when we needed him the very most. To this day, I still have his guiding hand on my shoulder that will remain with me forever.

JD's father was a Superman ! He always believed in his son. Dad #2 was my substitute father and always had my back. He called me SUGAR. JD is like a Mark Twain : when he was 14 his father knew nothing. But, when JD became 21...he was astonished at how much the old man had learned in 7 years !

Dad was a three war veteran...WW II, Korean and Viet Nam...a full-bird pilot in the Air Force...a Colonel with many years under his belt.You would have never know how great his accomplishments were for such a quiet demeanor. He was away from home a lot and asked JD (youngest in the family) to watch over Momma and his three sisters. Upon retirement, Dad and Mom spent 10 years on a sailboat with JD assisting them on and off...the best years father and son could ever share together. Treasured years for all three of them and everlasting memories for JD forever. We eventually lost JD's dad to cancer a few years ago. He was a remarkable Christian man and I am so thankful to have shared him with JD
and his family.

So whether we have a Ward Cleaver or an Archie Bunker for a Dad...Our fathers were put here on earth to guide us and love us and to only hope that God helped
them be the kind of man their sons and daughters needed to live their lives the best way possible.
Hoping all you Dads had a wonderful Father's Day.....

Hugs....Savannah