Fathers Day Letter

 I did not write this... but I think it is great.

Dear Dads, We Need You

Rebecca Wright June 17, 2022  

Dear Fathers,

You are so needed. We honor you this upcoming Father’s Day because we know the task set before you is not easy. We know there are often places you would rather be, interests you would rather pursue, and time you might rather spend elsewhere, but home—with your children—is where your impact is needed most.

We Need Your Strength.

We need fathers who are persistent in the cause of truth. We need you to live with integrity—for your actions to match your words. We need you to be fair and honest in your dealings. We need you to return what was borrowed and replace what was broken.  We need you to get the corners and edges, hoe to the end of the row, and finish what you started.

We need to see you work. You may go to a place of employment, but we also need to see it at home. We need to see that you take responsibility for yourself and your family. We need to see you wash the dishes, clean the toilets, mow the lawn, sweep the floor, fold the laundry, and rake the leaves. We need you to demonstrate the fulfillment that comes from taking responsibility for what is yours and not leaving others to do your work.

We need to see fathers who preside. This will never mean leading through fear. We need your long-suffering, gentleness, meekness, and love unfeigned (D&C 121:41). We need your gentle correction. It will give your children security to know that when they wander, you will find them and lovingly invite them back to the path.

We Need Your Faith.

Fathers, we need to know that the gospel is applicable. That while we may speak of the Golden Rule or the Good Samaritan, you will actually demonstrate what it means to be your brother’s keeper. We need you to pay an honest tithe, visit and tend to your ministering families, and kneel in family prayer. We need to catch you reading your scriptures and watching General Conference. We want to hear times you shared the gospel with others. We want you to teach us what you’ve learned and how the Spirit spoke to you.

We know you won’t be perfect. We need to hear you apologize and own your mistakes. We will love you for being humble and trying again.

We Need Your Joy.

Fathers, life is heavy sometimes. We need to see you still taking some joy in it. We need to see your silly side. We need you to play ball, to stop and check out the cool bug in the yard, to make root beer floats. We need you to help us find the balance between work and fun. We need fathers who will have tea parties and build epic train tracks. We need you to stay up until the teenagers are home and take joy in their safe, innocent fun. We need your jokes, even if they’re dorky. We need fathers who will have a laugh with us, not take themselves too seriously, and who will remember to have “much fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured” (Gordon B. Hinckley).

We Need Your Love.

We need a hug when our hearts are broken. We need you to be a safe place to land when the world knocks us down. We need your wisdom and advice through our tough decisions. We need to know you’re rooting for us.

We need to see that your love is unselfish. We need to see you honor women and mothers—your mother and the mother of your children. The way you treat women will be reflected in your daughter’s understanding of her worth and your son’s understanding of his role. It has been said that “Children are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate.” This is what we need, Dads. Someone who will be the hero his children look to as a life-long example.

The task is great. It’s no small thing to put yourself aside and become who your family needs you to be. To all your fathers who aren’t there yet, there is still time. We will most likely still love you, even honor you, but we need more.

And to all you fathers who are trying, stumbling, and trying again—we see you. We honor you. We thank you. In the words of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever.”

And so are we.

Happy Father’s Day.