Feel Good Fridays - Fatherly Fun!

[Amanda Barber]

Happy Feel Good Friday, Community! This week, I'm reminiscing about my own father, the fatherly figures in my life, and my husband (who is the father of our 2 kiddos.)

My favorite memories of my own dad include fishing and days at the beach; learning to drive; and, as an adult, working on house projects together. 🧰

What feel-good memories do you have of any fatherly figure in your life?

(Sunday is Father's Day in the United States and UK, as well as other countries around the world. If this day is difficult for you, I'm sending you virtual hugs and keeping you in my thoughts!)

[John Funk]

Thanks for this Amanda. My parents were older when they had me. I am the youngest of 5 with 3-4 years between each of us. My father taught horticulture at the local university, we had a couple (sometimes 3) large greenhouses behind our house, my parents owned a florist, and my father did some gardening and landscaping. So you could say I got my work ethic from him. 

I would spend some time with him at one of those place, especially during the summer. I wouldn't say it was quality time, but at least I was near enough for enough time in my life to see what he was truly like in life. He was loved by his students and people in the community. I also got my sense of humor from him (such that I have). 

He served as a US Marine in WWII, but rarely talked about it. He pretty much worked until the last few months of his life when his body eventually gave out at 87. Lots of memories. 

Happy Father's Day to all you dads!! 

[Amanda Barber]

He sounds like an amazing father! 🪴

[Daria Kulikova_GitProtect_io]

@Amanda Barber , such a lovely topic and on time one! As I'm busy choosing a present for my dad and husband for this day :)

I’ve always had a playful dynamic with my dad, maybe not so much now, but definitely when I was a kid. I used to get sick often and couldn’t attend kindergarten, so my parents had no choice but to take me to work with them. And the place I loved the most was my dad’s office.

Now, I realize how hard it must have been for him to juggle work, meetings with a 4- or 5-year-old daughter constantly running around and asking questions. Still, he always did his best. At work, he allowed me to play computer games or just said to open a simple text editor and said: “Create whatever you want,” and I remember how I was sitting there happily, pretending to be working.

I’m not sure why this memory popped into my mind first, but it’s the one that makes me smile. My dad has always been amazing, and now, he’s the best grandpa to my daughter. :) 

[Amanda Barber]

What great memories! Seeing my parents as grandparents is always wonderful, too!

[Stephen_Lugton]

Although I have lots of feel-good memories of my dad, but one which really stands out is a return trip we took to New Zealand when I was about 11.

We went to a beach near Auckland, where there were large rocks at the end of the beach behind which was a naturally filling tidal sandy pool, and as the waves hit the rocks they created a surge in the pool behind them and I remember my sister shouting out "Swim daddy daddy!" while the water took us round and round.

More recently there was the afternoon where he and my at the time 7 year old daughter went around his garden collecting all the snail shells that had been collecting there for however many years, I think they filled up nearly two buckets full, and hat night I took them all back out and spread them around the garden again for them to pick up the next day.  My daughter was delighted to find more shells while my dad was confused over where they'd all come from.

I'm seeing him this evening, and I fully expect him to doze off on the sofa while everyone else talks around him.

[Amanda Barber]

Love those memories, @Stephen_Lugton 🌀

[Barbara Szczesniak]

When I was young, my dad worked for out state government and wore a suit or sport coat with dress shirt and tie every day to work. As a result, he only owned dress socks and dress shoes. I remember him mowing the lawn, barbequing, or playing baseball with us while wearing dress shoes and black socks with shorts. We all were grateful that the only baseball incident that resulted in a broken window in our house was hit by my dad and not one of us.

I am very happy that, although he's had some recent health issues, my dad is still here with me for this Father's Day. I look forward to cooking him his favorite chicken parmigiana for dinner on Sunday.

Happy Father's Day to all of the dads and dad equivalents.

[Amanda Barber]

What a fun memory! Does he own casual footwear now, @Barbara Szczesniak 🧦

[Barbara Szczesniak]

Yes. His footwear now includes slippers and sneakers. He still has 1 pair of dress shoes for his grandchildren's weddings—the 4th in 2 years is 2 weeks from today! 

[Andy Gladstone]

My father drive my brothers and me 26 miles to and from high school every day for 2.5 years until one of my friends got his license and a car. We went to a private school that was not near home, and he would have us up at 6:30AM every morning to hit the road by 7:15, to be at school by 8:00. 

My younger brother and I also played hockey (and me basketball for a brief moment in 9th grade) and my father would be there to pick us up after practices and to take us to the school/rink on game days. In 10th grade I joined a local 'bar league' with men who were doctors, lawyers, sanitation workers, etc. I was by far the youngest player in the league, and we had games at 11PM, midnight and sometimes after midnight. My father would drive me to the games, take a nap in the car or in the bleachers and have me up again at 6:30AM the next day for school.

I learned from my father that the key to being a GREAT dad is ensuring that we had GREAT childhoods. I am sure he would have preferred the sleep or a quieter commute, but he sacrificed his comfort for ours. And I try to remember to do that for my kids too. 

[Barbara Szczesniak]

Wonderful, @Andy Gladstone 

[Amanda Barber]

What a great father and role model for you as a Dad. 💜