Fathers are supposed to be providers
Expected to be brave, strong,and not
Punish with fists, to be kind,and loving
Yet, we all know many are not that way
Too many children grow up in fear of
The man that shouts curses at them and
abuses them when they don't do as told

It's hard for me to understand a Father
Like that, when mine was so very good
He never raised his voice or cursed us
Five  children 2 boys 3 girls,and Mom
We all loved our happy smiling warm
Loving father,who was home with us for
Dinner every night except one, when his
Furniture business was open late that night

He was so good everyone loved him, and
Though he was taken advantage of a lot
My mother would be upset, but he would
Always say "Don't let it bother you Annie,
The blame is theirs, so they are the ones
who will pay in the long run."

My father Loved to have a couple of drinks Every night after dinner, he'd sit at the
Dining room table and talk with whomever
Was home or visiting,other times,he'd play
The piano,and we'd all sing songs and dance

Sometimes he'd have the tv on watching a
Baseball game,and at the same time have
Another game on the radio,they called my
Father "Happy go Lucky Charlie" yet

He was also a deep thinker,and would sit
Silent at his desk with chin in his hand like
The sculpture of "The Thinker" and we
knew not to bother him then, but I loved
To watch him when he was deep in thought

My fondest memories of my childhood is
The times I spent with my father,I was the
Youngest,and he would take me to church
On Sunday,then we'd go visit his mother
I felt very honored to be alone with him

I was seven years younger than the next
Youngest,so he took special interest in me
I felt so close to him and loved the lessons
He taught me about being kind,and having
respect for everyone

My father died at the age of sixty of a
Heart attack, we were all devastated
Because,it was unexpected...It happened
On a Saturday night,after closing the store

He had gone to church, for confession
He had come out of the confessional
Knelt in the pew to say pennance,and
died right there where he knelt

The way he died gave us comfort,but
We still had a difficult mourning period
I especially felt the loss of a friend
Besides that of a truly first rate father
The kind every child should have

Happy Father's Day Pop!

To all you Fathers, God bless you always!

Love,
Eileen