ANNA MONICA / L’Observateur / June 14, 2000

It has been so long since I had one I am hardly ever aware of Father’s Day.

Just as Mother’s Day is significant, though, Father’s Day is equally so, because dad is the first man of influence in our lives – for our entire lives.

There are many of us who have grown up without dads for one reason or another. Fortunate are those who have uncles or other family members orfriends who step in and try to play that role as much as possible. We cancommend these men who take on responsibility that wasn’t necessarily theirs to take but who are determined to make a difference in the lives of young people who don’t have dads around.

In my own life I was fortunate as a younger person to have had people like the late H. A. Poley of Garyville, E. L. Fagot of LaPlace and Ed Bernard ofReserve to always be there for me with manly advice, concern and care. Imiss them very much and am very aware of their influence on my life.

Also in my life, the fathers I know best are my own brothers and brothers-in- law. In my opinion they are great fathers to their children. I believe them tobe the finest men, and I sincerely hope you feel the same about the men-folk in your family. Many of you probably do. We are so fortunate that in-laws O’Neil, Sammy and Wayne, all dads, fit so well into our large and sometimes turbulent Italian-American family. Forsure, they have always been there, not for just their children but for me and for the rest of the family. Sister-in-law Linda has to play the role of motherand father to her boys. Today, many women have to do that and do it verywell, although it is difficult.

With so many children in the world being abused, neglected or unloved, there is a sense of peace when you see your own family children getting the very best of parenting, especially from the dads. Anytime I see fathers spendingtime with their children or holding their little babies or being attentive to them in any way, I am extremely impressed.

I see examples of what life with father should be like in my church. ToddClement is married to Valerie Miano, and they have three children. For a longtime, when Valerie played the organ in church, Todd patiently kept close watch on young Kelly in the pews while Sarah and Christian were altar servers. Now Todd, very much a hands-on dad at home, and Kelly are both inthe choir, joined by the older siblings at times, and mom still plays.

In that same family Paul Miano’s devotion and love for young daughter Sophia is quite evident in church where I see them. Sophia seems to have thatconfidence and trust in and love of her dad like all little girls and boys need to be able to have. She clings to her dad while mom, Alice, sings in the choir. Often sitting in the same pew are friends, Sharon and Barry Roussel. Barry isalso an attentive father to daughters Kelsey and Ashley, especially while Sharon serves as communion minister. Good dads, good families, good citizens for our nation’s future and good future parents! You know what I believe to be the greatest compliment? A friend’s son said he wanted his children to have the same kind of childhood he had; obviously an example set by his dad. And my father-to-be nephew, Sammy, said hewished to be the kind of father his dad has been to him.

So, to all you dads, surrogate dads and dads-to-be, happy Fathers Day!Back to Top

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