Buy me a coffee?
One of the most celebrated days of the year is… Mother’s Day. Restaurants will tell you that it’s their busiest time of year, as will flower shops. And it’s a good thing. Mothers, for the most part, are the glue in a family. They carry the fetus in their tummy for nine long months, sacrificing their body and comfort, then go through the pain of giving birth. And they are so amazing that a while later, they want to do it all over again. Most mothers carry a love for their children that goes unmatched.
Trailing far behind on the list of “holidays” is Father’s Day. I like joking around saying that every day should be Father’s Day as fathers did all the work at conception. Of course, it’s meant tongue-in-cheek. But most fathers will do everything in their power to provide for, teach and protect their children. While different than a mother’s, the love that they have for their kids is usually undeniable. Often times, it is not displayed as much… but don’t ever doubt it, the love is there!
Back in 1992, I chose to move to BC, leaving behind my best friend: my Dad. At first, the plan was to go meet with my mother and my sister, who had move there two years before me. I was planning on staying in BC for a year max, work on my English and return home to Quebec. Long story short, I met my wife, had kids and fell in love with the beauty this province has to offer. More than 30 years later, I’m still away from by best friend, my father. While I miss him dearly and wish we could spend more time together, we both know what we mean for each other.
A tradition
I’ve been Catholic my entire life. While I won’t shove my beliefs down your throat, I do believe in God. I even was a Knight of Columbus for many years. In our Parish, perhaps the tradition that I loved the most, was our Father’s Day camp out. It was put together by the Knights on Father’s Day weekend. We rented a big section of a campground along the lakeshore of Skaha Lake in Penticton, and we would invite anyone who wanted to join in the Parish. The cost was “what they could afford”, even if it was… nothing.
Families would come with RVs or tents, and spend the Friday and Saturday night, leaving on Sunday, after breakfast. Kids would play together, parents would socialize and share stories. We would have paddle boats, canoes, fishing, camp fires, songs,…
The Knights would get up bright and early and cook, providing breakfast (sausage, bacon, eggs, pancakes…) to everyone present. We’d do a breakfast on Saturday morning and Sunday morning. As a Knight, it was fun to share duties with other Knights, fathers themselves, and feed everyone outdoors.
On Saturday, our Priest would come to the campground and we would have an outdoor Mass at around five o’clock. Once done, he would stay and we would serve dinner to everyone present. The Knights would provide the main course, and the people from the Parish would bring a side dish to share. This was always very well attended. And all of that was free.
Time with my daughters
I cherish these memories dearly. We would have our trailer set up, the awning facing the lake, facing East. An early riser, I would sit outside having coffee with my father-in-law, my dogs laying by our side, as the sun was rising over the lake. By about 7:30 or 8:00 o’clock, we would both head to the stove and meet with the other Knights of Columbus and started cooking.
My daughters would be there with me all weekend, playing with their friends, swimming, playing horseshoes, lawn darts, volleyball, biking on the paved and secured area of the campground. We didn’t have to worry as everyone was from our Parish. S’mores by the campfire at night (shelled peanuts for me), sharing laughs while having a cold drink or two.
This time spent with my daughters and, later on, with my grandson as well, are to this date, by far my best memories with them. On Sunday after breakfast, they would give me a hand-made card or some craft for a Father’s Day present. It was totally priceless.
You see, Father’s Day to me is not about presents or recognition. Far from there. Father’s Day to me is to provide at least one day of the year, for a simple acknowledgment of love between children and their father. A note, a phone call, a smile, a hug. As you get older, all you are left with is memories. I’m fortunate to have several good ones with my daughters.
Happy Father’s Day!
Leave a Reply