doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com OT Happy Father's Day

A very Happy Father's Day wish to all those to whom it applies. If your father is still among the living make sure to let him know, in some way, how much you appreciate him giving you a chance at life. Life is fleeting, and when our dad is gone it's obviously too late to let him know. Redeem the time.

Happy Father's Day Stan, and to all the other dads out there.

Back at ‘ya, fellas.


Best,
Ted

One of my favs - "Careful Aim" by Norman Rockwell



Some of our fathers were not the men they should have been, but they were burdened with their own pain. Love them anyway, or forgive them if they are no longer with you. It'll be good for both of you.

Some of us have not been the fathers we should have been. Make this the day to make things right. Be man enough to say you are sorry, no matter what the response might be. It'll be good for both of you.

My father was the first born of a hard working but always poor Ozark farm family. In the midst of the depression when it became difficult to feed all the kids, his mother’s sister and husband who had no children sent word that they could feed another mouth so at 16 he was “farmed out’ to them deep in the Ozark mountains at a little White River village called Branson. (Yes, that Branson). He lived and worked there until the depression was over. Then he made his way home and instead of going back to school he went back to work. He had to believe that the greatest hardships were behind him and life would be good as his wedding day approached. Then Pearl Harbor was bombed. The depression had been terrible. This would be worse. My Mom and Dad made the decision to elope. They had a few weeks together and then he was gone to the Pacific until 1945. When he came back he was a deeply wounded man but he was a man. He put his head down and he worked and he provided and he built a good life for his wife and his son. My folks celebrated their 50th anniversary. Three weeks later he fell down dead in the floor with a heart attack.

I remember him today and all those Dads of the greatest generation. I honor his pain and his incredible character and I thank God for him.

I tend to treat father's day as another Hallmark moment (which is how my own father dealt with it) but it certainly is something to contemplate when you get some quiet time and face eternity.

I'm guessing most father's do the best they can and for some that might not be quite-enough and for others it's the world and then some. I'm hoping that what I've done was enough for my child (but only time will tell there).

Here's to all the Fathers out there that do what they can, and then some.