In just a few hours Father’s Day will end and many women, men, boys, and girls will breathe a sigh of relief. Oh, I remember the days when I dreaded the approach of the third Sunday in June because I was always fatherless on Father’s Day. That was the one Sunday I avoided church and stayed home with, I’m sure, all sorts of sad or negative thoughts.
Now I celebrate men who have positively impacted my life because of something they’ve said or done. Today I honored two gentlemen for the love, care, and encouragement they’ve expressed over the past year. Honor them helps lift the burden of possible Father’s Day blues while spreading love and appreciation to those who deserve it. They appreciate it and besides, it’s rewarding to bless others.
Getting through Father’s Day is not always easy when your father is absent, unavailable or unattached. That’s why I’m offering these 3 tips to cope with Father’s Day:
- Celebrate other fathers or men. I mentioned it above and it had to make this list. Pick up the phone and call someone who has encouraged you, been a positive example, or who you admire because of the father he is to his children. Remember, because of Facebook algorithms, you may see some of those posts Monday.
- Avoid social media. If the repetition of seeing others celebrate their dad triggers grief or anger, this is the perfect day to fast from social media or use it in moderation.
- Decide this is not the end of your story. Everyone has a story but you have the power to decide how yours will end. Being fatherless and miserable, fatherless and angry, or fatherless and ___________ does not have to be the end of your story. What’s your blank? Rewrite the narrative for your life and declare “This is not how my story will end.”
Say That, Girl! 