In response to the oft-asked question, “Can anything good come out of Spokane?”, I readily answer, “Yes, indeedy!” Some of my favorite college students are from that region of Washington and nearby Idaho. And don’t forget Sonora Dodd.
While listening to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909, she had the idea of honoring fathers with a special day. Her father, William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife died while giving birth to their sixth child. He raised the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington. Because he was born in June, Sonora chose to hold the first Father’s Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910. President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of a national Father’s Day in 1924. In 1966 President Lyndon Johnson signed a proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday in June as Father’s Day. President Richard Nixon signed the law that finally made it permanent in 1972. Thank you, Sonora from Spokane!
But then preachers got hold of the idea and messed everything up. On Mother’s Day, we laud our moms, give them flowers and candy, breakfast in bed. Sermon time rolls around and we wax eloquent with effervescent emotion. We can’t say enough about how important they are, how much we love them, how we can never fully thank them.
And then the 3rd Sunday in June arrives. And the sermon hits like a holy hammer. Dads, grow up! Dads, quit messing around! Dads, your mistakes are ruining your kids! Bad, sad, mad dads! Wow, no wonder men run away from church like the bulls in Spain are after them. Why would I want to go somewhere on a supposedly celebratory day and be made to feel like I embody all the worst characteristics of Tony Soprano, Al Bundy, Homer Simpson and Hannibal Lechter?
On Mother’s Day, we hold moms up. On Father’s Day, we beat dads up. Now, I know this isn’t always the case. But why is it ever the case? Yes, it’s true that we can all do better. Certainly, the biggest room in the house is always the room for improvement. Believe me when I say I am keenly aware of my fatherly shortcomings. I regret things I said, things I didn’t say, things I have done that have hurt my children. I know that list better than anyone. But I’m not convinced that rehearsing my parental sins on a seasonal basis is necessarily the best way to help me grow in character and confidence.
So today, let’s hear it for the dads! Let’s say thanks to them, not because they are perfect or have done everything just right. Let’s say thanks because saying thanks is not only good for them to hear, but good for us to say.
Through our words and our actions, let us use this day to make some fathers happy.
Dennis Lynn
Redwood Church
