June makes me think of summertime, barbeques, weddings and, most importantly, Fatherís Day.It would be hard to dispute that over time the role of fathers, like that of mothers, has become more complicated. Gone are the days of the hunters and gatherers whose major fathering activity involved teaching their coming-of-age sons how to provide for the family.Today, fathers ìbring home the baconî and work alongside mothers ìfrying it up in the pan,î as the song goes. Many dads can now be seen changing diapers, feeding and bathing the kids, attending games or school functions, reading bedtime stories and providing more daily care overall. All things we mothers can be thankful for!Fatherís Day was not created, as frequently thought, by Hallmark. It began in the early 1900s when it was introduced by Sonora Smart Dodd, who wanted to honor her father with an official day of celebration. William Jackson Smart was a Civil War hero and raised his children after his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. Sonora, as the eldest of the six, helped her father raise her siblings and thought very highly of her father and his accomplishments. She felt that fathers needed to be recognized as well as mothers.The first Fatherís Day was celebrated June 19, 1910, in Spokane, Wash. It took many years to make Fatherís Day an official holiday. Motherís Day was supported by most of the populace, whereas Fatherís Day was seen by many as an attempt to clutter up the calendar with holidays, along with such ideas as Secretaries Day, Grandparentís Day and Groundhog Day.It was not until 1966 that Fatherís Day became a federal holiday, when President Lyndon Johnson issued a presidential proclamation. It was first supported by Calvin Coolidge in 1924, but was subjected to so much ridicule that it was considered an unpopular idea and was not pursued.What many of us remember most are the things our fathers said when we were growing up. Any of these sound familiar?ìAs long as you live in my house, youíll live by my rules.îìLife is not fair.îìMoney doesnít grow on trees.îìDonít make me stop this car.î (Also the title of Al Rokerís of NBCís ìToday Showî memoirs)ìWhat did your mother say? If itís OK with her, then itís OK with me.îìYouíll eat whatís put in front of you.îAnd a little something for moms: ìJust wait until your father gets home.îA special happy Fatherís Day to our NFH staff dads!– Deb, Michelle and the NFH team
