Happy Father's Day to fathers and father figures everywhere! May God bless you, equip you to be the great father He wants you to be and give you wisdom and strength for your fatherhood journey. May your children show their respect, love and appreciation for you. To all those who have lost their earthly fathers, may they feel their heavenly Father's comfort today and may their happy memories be a balm to their souls.

I was blessed to be able to have a nice long chat with my own father today. I wish I could have hugged him, as I do every time I see him (which is rare because we live so far apart). If you are within hugging distance of your father I urge you to hug him and tell him you love him. Even if he's a tough macho guy and you don't think he wants to hear it. Deep inside I bet he'll be thankful.

Thank you for being a strong man

A good man

One who showed me I can

Thank you for being there then

For being there now

For being there when

It's a wonderful feeling

To know you love me

For all eternity

Whether I am rich or poor

Strong or weak

For evermore

The things you've taught

Were not for aught

It's your wisdom I've sought

It's your words that helped me

Make the right decisions

And become who I was meant to be.

Poem written by me and originally published at www.associatedcontent.com on May 7, 2010