Father’s Day will be celebrated this coming Sunday; a day in which we celebrate the men who we inevitably begin to resemble in one way or another as we age. Here then are some thoughts about my dad as I look ahead to my first father’s day without him.



My father was a very simple, unassuming, and proud man. He was proud of the point where he had come to in his life; he seemed to be fulfilled and contented.

Losing his mother at the young age of 7 had been one of the most overwhelming challenges that he had faced; but he rose to the occasion and overcame his loss. And over the years, the adversity he faced early on and during the rest of his lifetime, defined the kind of man he became.

It transformed him from a scared 7 year old boy into a man who appreciated things in life more because of the struggles that he had overcome. He became a man who believed in God deeply, he loved his wife and family; and put his unconditional faith in God’s promise of everlasting life. He embraced life as it came, and valued every day he was blessed with.

Part of what we leave behind when we are called by God, is our legacy. Some people leave behind riches, others, magnificent buildings or material things. My dad left nothing of the sort. His passing reminded me of a quote that says; “Many men can make a fortune but very few can build a family”.

As someone who worked mostly with his hands, he seemed to place more value in the work that it took to construct the many projects that he had worked on in this city. He valued the labor and effort more; he realized that in the end those were the things that mattered and it would be those things that would stand the test of time.

Consequently, my dad did the best with the gifts that God blessed him with; I like to think that we, his children, are his legacy he left behind.

Although far from perfect, and he would be the first one to tell you that, he went about his life simply, quietly and always grateful for what he had.

He shared 61 years with my mother and cared for her until the day came when he had to gently let

go of her hand.

In a conversation we had shortly after my mom died in 1999, he shared with me his love for her but also his fear of life without her. But he accepted God’s will because he had faith; he went forward and led our family through some difficult days.

That was his way.

Each one of my sisters and brothers, me included, knew him in our own special way. We each shared our special moment with him that will remain engraved in our hearts forever. And I suspect that this Sunday we will remember that unique memory in a special way.

And when the time comes when we have to face our appointed time, as all of us inevitably will, I will remember how he handled his; with quiet strength and dignity.

On December 28, 2005, surrounded by most of his family, he died peacefully at the age of 95.

And I miss him.

So on this Father’s Day, I leave you with this one thought for those of us fortunate enough to be a dad: The mark of a true father is one who holds his children’s hands from the moment they are born, until the day he leaves this world.

Email: acruztsc@aol.com