Happy Father's Day

Dad, Richelle, Mom

     Over the years I've learned many things from my father. He has been there for me and my boys throughout our lives. I am grateful for his hard work, his generosity, and some lessons learned. Here are probably the top ten things I learned from him, last to first:

10. Coats belong in the closet. Salt and pepper belong on the table.
9. Everything should be celebrated afterwards with ice cream.
8. You don't pick the winning team in football based on their jersey colors.
7. YES, you can do anything, but NO, you're not better than anyone else.
6. Parents don't flap their jaws just to hear themselves talk.
5. John Wayne is king, ruler, chief, icon, superhero, and the last real man to have set foot on this earth.
4. The world is full of opinions; yours is the one that matters most.
3. There are a lot of idiot boys my age.
2. If you can't look yourself in the eye standing in front of the mirror, you better fix the reason why.
1. No matter what—you are loved. (Unless, of course, the salt and pepper don't make it to the table.)

Happy Father’s Day, Dad!!

Fathers and Trees

When I hear the word fathers I think of trees.  Perhaps because I see in trees the finer qualities all great fathers share.  

The obvious, their strength and sturdiness.  A tree will bear things thrust upon its branches without an uttered word of complaint.  Reaching limbs hold a person up, supporting him throughout many days and nights.  

A tree is rooted where it stands.  One never needs to glance repeatedly out a window to be sure it hasn't walked away.  It is planted firmly.  It is always there.  Its form may sway with the wind, but it never falters.

A tree is dependent upon sunlight; therefore, its majestic form reaches toward Heaven for nourishment.  It does not hide its need for the light, but flourishes beneath the sun for all eyes to see.

A tree bears fruit to feed others, even though it is unable to partake of the fruit itself.  It complains to no one.  And if called upon to sacrifice itself entirely in order to warm and protect another, it does so without a word of protest.

Trees shade and protect.  They shield us from the elements. I have never seen a child fear a tree, but smile up at its grandness, eager to climb into its arms and observe the world from a higher viewpoint.

One can talk to trees without fear or reprisal.  All secrets remain in a tree's confidence despite the passing of generations.  

Out of all God's creations, I admire most the mighty trees. They are a grand sight to behold, and as necessary to us as are fathers.

— Richelle E. Goodrich

Dear Dad

Father's Day 2013

Dear Dad,

You probably don't remember how once when I was a young woman you gave me a letter.  It was written in black ink on a folded up piece of lined paper, your own angled penmanship.  It wasn't a long note, taking up only one side of the page, but it lacked nothing.  

I still have that letter, Dad.

Why have I kept it all these years, you ask?  Because the sentiments contained in those handwritten words forged a treasure I'd long chased after.  It was a pearl you handed me, and to this day its worth remains as great.  

Perhaps it is the same with others, perhaps not, but it seems to me that as children we crave from our mother her love most of all—absolute comfort, affection, and acceptance.   But from our father it is his approval so desperately sought after—honest praise, acknowledgement, and affirmation.  We run crying to our mother when things go wrong, 'Mommy, Oh Mommy!', trusting that she will do everything in her power to make it all better.  However, when things go right—when we seek affirmation for a job well done—it is our father we look to.  'Do you like it, Daddy?'  'Are you well pleased?' 

That stamp of approval is not always easy to come by.  It is something to be earned.  Maybe that is why, like a pearl, it is a treasure to cherish.

And so, Dad, I do carry that letter with me even years after raining tears of joy over the initial reading.  It empowered me then, and it empowers me still today when I read those words of acknowledgement and approval...and love.

Thank you for believing in me.

Thank you for being proud of me.

Thank you for bolstering me.

And especially, thank you for taking a moment to compose that rare but invaluable letter and letting me know.  It still means the world to me.  

I thought you should know.

Happy Father's Day, Dad.