Fathers’ Day – It’s 100 years
Thank you Mrs. Sonora Smart Dodd!
A resident of Spokane, WA – It was in 1910 that she realized that in her own family it had been her father, William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran, who had sacrificed-raising herself and five sons alone, following the early death of his wife in childbirth. She proposed it to the local ministers and it was on 19 JUNE 1910 that the first day honoring fathers was celebrated.
It was not readily accepted (was Gloria Steinem involved?) and in 1957, one of the most notable efforts was made by Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who wrote forcefully to Congress that
“Either we honor both our parents, mother and father, or let us desist from honoring either one. But to single out just one of our two parents and omit the other is the most grievous insult imaginable.”
It took over 60 years, but in 1972 President Richard Nixon declared Father’s Day a National Day.
I wish a very hearty HAPPY FATHERS DAY to all the fathers out there… please stay involved with your children no matter what… it’s important to their future.
I’ve got two daughters, who for reasons of their surroundings have been convinced to not celebrate Fathers’ Day. Despite the years of fighting to stay involved in their lives and knowing the importance that a father-daughter relationship is, they have chosen to not have a full (or any relationship) with me. For the whole world to see and read, I want to let both of them know that I still love them dearly and one day they’ll understand all the time and special moments they let slip by …
My Girls in 1995
Tags: Father's Day
