But should we be surprised?  Times have certainly changed.  Surveys show that today’s men are more inclined to stay in a troubled marriage for the sake of the children.  Perhaps they remember something many seem to have forgotten: the worth of a father.

Having lost my own at an early age, I didn’t know the worth of a father either – not until I could see it up close and personal in the joyful well-being of my daughters who are growing up with one now.

And so, on this Father’s Day I’m thinking that dads do so much more than we give them credit for, so much more than we can measure.  And even though I don’t have one myself, I still mean to celebrate Father’s Day.

And so should we all: Celebrate the valiant men who’ve learned to change diapers and burp babies and throw baseballs and help with homework and tough it out, no matter what.

Celebrate the men who ignore the world’s urgings:  “Follow your dreams.”  “If it feels good, do it.” “Have it your way.” 

Celebrate those faithful ones who keep their commitments and give their wives and children the security of knowing they will never leave.

Let’s face it, being a dad can be a drag.  No one issues you a uniform, salutes when you enter the room, or rewards you with a chestful of medals.  Fatherhood is hardly a life of adventure – no Ocean’s 11 or Indiana Jones. Quite the contrary. Throughout the entertainment world, since Archie Bunker, fathers have been largely portrayed as hopeless and self-centered fools.

But a dad who has conquered himself and his all-too human selfishness is more handsome to behold than any matinee idol, his story more compelling than any movie plot.

I know because I live with one.

When Tripp married me at Jenner-by-the-Sea, California in 1983, he took on a ready-made family with my two daughters Samantha Sunshine and Jasmine Moondance.   Evidently, he enjoyed being a dad – enjoyed it enough to add ten more children to the world, seven on his own steam and three by adoption.

Because of his king-sized heart and steadfast love, 12 children will become adults who have been wrapped securely in a father’s love.  In a time when a father’s love isn’t a commodity you can count on, that gives me goosebumps – and not at all the kind I had on that day so far away and long ago.

And so for the sake of the men who matter most: Happy Father’s Day to faithful fathers everywhere!

Published June 18, 2009