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8 Touching Father’s Day Tributes Guaranteed To Make You Laugh Or Cry

June 13th, 2014
By Rochelle Rietow
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Ahh, Father’s Day.

One of the very few holidays during the year where dads everywhere can bask in their reclining La-Z-Boy, eat whatever THEY want for dinner, and be treated like this is their day.

Yes, Father’s Day is about letting your dad relax because he is busy working hard every other day of the year. But I think it’s about more than that. I think Father’s Day is about appreciating your father for everything he is.. I think it’s about cherishing the relationship you have (or had) with him, or about making changes to your relationship so that you can cherish it more.

More than anything, though, I think Father’s Day is about love. About showing, giving and receiving love from your father. And because we are funeral professionals, why not capture that love in the form of beautiful, heartfelt  tributes?

I searched high and low and are proud to present to you these eight touching tributes to fathers to celebrate this Father’s Day:

1. From Father to Son, Last Words to Live By

Charles, his wife, and their son, Jordan during Charles’ first meeting with his son.

Charles, his wife, and their son, Jordan during Charles’ first meeting with his son.

This isn’t so much a tribute to a father as it is a great story. This article, written by the wife of a soldier killed in Iraq, tells us about a journal her husband wrote in for their future son “just in case” he died while serving. Even though the soldier, Charles, met his son only once before he passed away, the messages he left for him in this amazing journal will inspire him forever. One of my favorite passages from the journal reads “Never be ashamed to cry. No man is too good to get on his knee and humble himself to God. Follow your heart and look for the strength of a woman.”

2. Daddy: My Father’s Last Words

If it’s a good cry you’re looking for, this piece, originally featured on Esquire magazine, is where you’ll find it. It’s a very, very long read, but definitely worth every minute. The author tells a story of growing up with a father who was less than admirable. In fact, he admits that he spent most of his life hating his father, resenting and unlearning every lesson he learned from him. But the end of the story, during his father’s last moments, describes a moment in time that very few experience. The story’s conclusion starkly contrasts the beginning, where the author says “And for once in his life, my father’s was the voice of love.”

 

3. 12 Things My Father Taught Me about Being a Funeral Director

Caleb Wilde with four generations of his family (and funeral directors).

Caleb Wilde with four generations of his family (and funeral directors).


Caleb Wilde isn’t one of our favorite bloggers in funeral service for nothing. We love reading his blog because it’s always filled with real stories, insights and lessons he learns along the way that anyone can relate to. This particular piece about his father is father really hits home for us. Our favorite line? “The greatest gift my dad ever gave me was his time. He could have worked harder, made more money and given me cooler things, better cars, etc.  Instead, he worked less, made less money and gave me himself.”

4. What Losing My Father Taught Me About Father’s Day

This tearjerker was written by our own Krystal Penrose about her father who passed away when she was just three years old. She writes to her father to thank him for the unconditional love he gave her mother while growing up. We love this piece not just because of her in-your-face honesty about her trials and tribulations as a child, but also because of her sheer vulnerability and realness throughout the piece.

5. Because I Said I Would

This video was clearly put together and filmed by someone who isn’t a professional videographer, but if you can look past that, you’ll find a message that’s incredibly touching. This man lost his father unexpectedly and in honor of him, started a movement called “Because I said I would”. In honor of his father keeping every promise he ever made, this man hands out cards that say “Because I said I would…” and asks everyone at his father’s funeral to fill out a promise they’ve made but haven’t actually fulfilled yet. He encourages everyone to fulfill that promise to memorialize his father, and his efforts are so touching that they’ve been recognized nationally. The message behind this simple idea is powerful and that’s why this video deserves a spot on our list.

 

6. A Touching Twitter Tribute From John Stamos

Who said a tribute to your father can’t be tweeted? Not John Stamos, that’s for sure. His series of heartfelt tweets put on display the undeniable love he has for this father. Although it isn’t the ordinary poem, video, eulogy or speech, we still appreciate John’s efforts in letting the world know how much he’ll miss his dad.






7. “The Gift” – Li-Young Lee

There are a ton of poems out there dedicated to fathers, but this is one of our favorites. We appreciate it because it’s very unconventional and doesn’t follow the usual formula almost every poem out there does. And instead of simply telling us how much she misses her father, the author shows us through the use of metaphors and storytelling. Read this beautiful poem for yourself below!

To pull the metal splinter from my palm

my father recited a story in a low voice.

I watched his lovely face and not the blade.

Before the story ended, he’d removed

the iron sliver I thought I’d die from.

I can’t remember the tale,

but hear his voice still, a well

of dark water, a prayer.

And I recall his hands,

two measures of tenderness

he laid against my face

8. Tears In Heaven – Eric Clapton

This song isn’t a tribute to a father, but rather a tribute from a father to a son. Eric Clapton wrote this song to describe the pain and loss he felt after the tragic death of his four-year-old son, Conor. Conor fell from a window of a 53rd-floor New York apartment building and Clapton found him shortly after. Even though he won’t play this song live anymore because of emotional reasons, this song is one of the most powerful songs out there that describe a father-son relationship.


What’s the most touching tribute to a father you’ve ever experienced? Share your story with us in the comments below!

 

 

 

 

Rochelle Rietow

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