At that time, my 11-year-old daughter, Celia, presented me with a tribute written by her, “A Special Sharing Time.” It was a synopsis of the special times the two of us had shared, since she was six months old, reading bedtime stories each night. Celia noted how we took turns reading the stories aloud, as she got older; she also referred to our discussions that followed. Expressing her appreciation for our special sharing times, she concluded by saying, “Thank you, Daddy, for being such a wonderful father to me.”

The years transpiring since Father’s Day 1986 have brought many changes. I’ve watched my daughter grow into a beautiful young woman with differing interests, problems, relationships, challenges, likes, dislikes. Though she has outgrown our ritual of bedtime stories, I’m grateful that she hasn’t outgrown spending special sharing times with her dad--times when we share ourselves, concerns, and experiences with each other.

My daughter is very individualistic. She’s developed her own opinions, values, and ideas concerning life and her desires for the future. She will soon take flight into that future. Yet, it’s with much pride that I recognize the positive influence of ideas, values, and opinions stemming from discussions we’ve had during special sharing times in our lives.

It is my prayer that these ideas, values, and opinions have established a solid foundation upon which she can launch into the next stage of her development--enabling her to experience joy, tranquillity, and fulfillment.

On this Father’s Day, I want to say to Celia, and to her 11-year-old sister, Melissa, “Thank you for being such wonderful daughters to me.”

NOTES: Reprinted with permission.