Religion column: Dad didn't sweat small stuff

Fathers, it's your day. May you be happy and prosperous! You work and bring home the bacon and we appreciate you.

I know a man who had many wonderful Father's Days. He had three sons and they all had many excursions. One day he bought a suction toy for his baby and played with it first. He stuck it against his forehead and when he took it off he had a big purple circle. The next time he saw one of his friends, guess what? He had a round purple on his forehead too.

The man I know wrestled with his boys as they grew up. As they grew it began to be a little hard but he still bragged that he won. One night in the fray with three boys this man's rib came out of place. In the ER sat another man who had done the same thing.

The man I'm writing about took his boys fishing with expensive fishing poles. One of the boys accidentally threw his pole too hard and it disappeared.

This man took them rock hunting and forgot to take water. When they came to a filling station all four drank two Pepsi Colas one at a time.

This man decided the boys were old enough to paint the fence. After 30 minutes he went outside to check the painting. The boys had started a paint fight. White paint on each other, the horse, the dog, the brick on the wall … everything but the fence.

They tell me roughhousing is the way daddies love their boys. That's hard for me to believe, but if one gets wounded you bet the father will be the first one to be on the basketball floor or on the football field.

These three boys are grown and have babes of their own. When the middle son moved far away he left a letter and this man reads it every Father's Day.

"Dear Dad,

"I want to talk to you about some things that I find hard to put into words. You have been so good to me as long as I can remember and I want you to realize that I love you more than I can express.

"Now that I've left home and live far away, I feel a part of me is missing. I don't know any way to express my feeling except that I look forward to the day we will all be together in heaven. I know it will be wonderful!

"Dad, I hope I can be half the father to my children as you have been to me. I can think back to so many things that you have gone out of your way to do for me. I can think of times we went on weekend trips to the lake and other places to get rocks, which I really enjoyed. You helped me get a car and helped me to face problems I had from time to time, which put pressures on you that you could have avoided, but you cared enough to help me.

"I guess it takes time to realize how much parents love their children, but it has really made me aware tonight. I just want to thank you for all you have done.

"I will miss getting to see you each day and being close by, but I will be thinking of you each day. I love you very, very much and God bless you and Mom too!

I love you."

Yes, you have guessed by now. I love that man too!

Portales resident Joan Clayton is a retired teacher and published author. Her e-mail address is: [email protected]