Fathers Day 2026
Today is Father’s Day. Whoever, However, Whatever today relates to you, have a pleasant day. There are assorted Father’s in my constellation, one of which is me.
Saturday morning in front of this screen I took the below photo. The second photo is on the wall behind me, “among my souvenirs”. This is my ‘home place’, where all of these posts originate. Nothing fancy – just as it is.
The kids, 1980, etc.
Quetico wilderness Ontario Summer 2001 with granddaughter Lindsay, and Joni and Tom, two of the kids. Tom is Lindsay’s Dad.
I’ve been a Dad since 1964 – not as long a run as some, but long enough to have seen more than a bit of the territory of fatherhood!
I grew up in the days memorialized by “It’s a Wonderful Life”, “Father Knows Best” and the like – programs which were more or less mostly accepted as the standard for defining Dad and Mom and family. “All in the Family” signaled that change was a-coming.
In 1971 I did a newsletter for the Teacher’s Association of which I was part, and in one issue included the names and addresses of all of the members of the Minnesota state legislature, numbering 141 Senators and Representatives. In that year, just going by first names of the legislators, there were 140 men and one woman (who happened to be from a southern Minnesota community). A friend of mine, 95, was a Senator in that class. I shared the list with him. It was as I surmised. It was as clear an example of disparity as one can imagine. But the winds of change were starting to blow.
Long and short, for me, as Father’s Day comes this year, as we are now, every single one of us who are adults either have or will at some time or another, fill one or many of the roles which once were restricted to either men or women strictly by virtue of gender.
Back in 2006 did a short essay on “Community” which comes to mind as I write. It’s about a page and a half. Take a look: Community by Dick Bernard 2006.
Have a good Father’s Day, everyone!
June 20, 2026 at “command central” (my desktop)
My own father sent me away to be raised by an uncle and an aunt who had no children. After a year or so, they sent me to my grandmother in Valley City, North Dakota, a perfect village for a child to be raised in. But I did see my father, occasionally, over the years and I admired him for a number of reasons: his occupation as a railroad telegrapher, his carving of wooden horses, and his insatiable curiosity, which I thankfully inherited. He died at 60 and now I’m 83. Looking back, I understand him better but not completely. Having raised a son and daughter, I both understand yet am somewhat perplexed as to how he could send me away at age 5. But, I remain forever grateful because of where I landed and for the care I received from my grandmother. Happy Father’s Day, Dick. I enjoyed the photos which reminded me of my own “command central.” It’s a place in my life that has always been – now, more than ever – my personal refuge.
Happy Father’s Day Dick,
I look forward to your weekly thoughts and insights.
The beauty of Father’s Day is its universality.of those who have offered guidance and strength particularly in times of strife.! Thank you!
Thanks for posting! Yay!
About Father’s Day: Becoming a National Holiday
The widely publicized events in Spokane struck a chord that reached all the way to Washington, D.C., and Sonora’s celebration put the idea on the path to becoming a national holiday. However, the holiday did not catch on right away, perhaps due to the perceived parallels with Mother’s Day.
The first bill was introduced in Congress in 1913, but in spite of encouragement from President Woodrow Wilson, it did not pass.
Eight years later, President Calvin Coolidge signed a resolution in favor of Father’s Day “to establish more intimate relations between fathers and their children and to impress upon fathers the full measure of their obligations.”
In 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed an executive order that the holiday be celebrated on the third Sunday in June.
Under President Richard Nixon, in 1972, Congress passed an act officially making Father’s Day a national holiday.