For What It's Worth
I’m sure you are well aware that Sunday was Father’s Day. For this old geezer, it marked number 47 — hard to believe my oldest arrived back in 1979. The day itself was a reminder of how fatherhood evolves but never stops mattering. I spent part of it with my youngest son and his wife with lunch, enjoying the kind of easy conversation that comes when your children have grown into adults you’re proud of.
Later came a phone call from my oldest up in Minnesota, the kind of long-distance check-in that still warms the heart. And earlier in the week, both boys teamed up to surprise me with an early Father’s Day gift: a new television set. Not bad for a guy who still remembers when you had to get up to change the channel.
Those moments — simple, sincere, and rooted in connection — are what Father’s Day is really about. It’s a chance to pause and appreciate the relationships that shape us, even as the years move faster than we expect.
What does Father’s Day mean? And when did we start recognizing what fathers mean to us? The origins go back more than a century. In 1908, Grace Golden Clayton of West Virginia proposed a service to honor fathers, inspired by the more than 360 men who died in a mining disaster. A year later, Sonora Smart Dodd of Washing ton state pushed for a broader observance. Her father, a Civil War veteran, raised six children alone — a quiet hero long before the term became fashionable. Thanks to her efforts, the first official Father’s Day celebration took place on June 19, 1910.
Still, it took more than 50 years before the nation formally embraced the idea. President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first presidential proclamation recognizing the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. President Richard Nixon later signed it into law as a national holiday. That made this past Sunday, June 21, the official observance for 2026.
The United States is hardly alone. More than 112 countries celebrate fathers in some form, though not always on the same day. Brazil marks the occasion on the second Sunday in Au gust. Australia celebrates on the first Sunday in September. The dates differ, but the sentiment is universal.
In the lead-up to Sunday, many people pointed out that Father’s Day is not just for bio logical fathers. That’s especially true today, when families come in all shapes and structures. Grandfathers, stepfathers, mentors, uncles, and neighbors often step into paternal roles with love and commitment.
My own family reflects that reality. My youngest son remarried earlier this year, and in doing so stepped into the role of stepfather. He now parents the children of his current wife while still maintaining connections with the children from his previous marriage. That’s fatherhood, too — showing up, staying present, and offering guidance even when the path isn’t simple.
Father’s Day recognizes all of these roles. It honors the men who coach ball teams, fix bicycles, give advice, teach responsibility, and model what it means to care for others. It honors the men who may not share DNA but share their time, their patience, and their hearts.
It is often said that Father’s Day teaches gratitude and responsibility. But it also reminds us of something deeper: that strength doesn’t always roar. Sometimes it looks like a man working long hours to provide for his family. Sometimes it looks like a grandfather passing down stories on a front porch. Sometimes it looks like a stepfather helping with homework or a mentor offering encouragement at just the right moment.
In communities like ours, fatherhood is lived out in practical, everyday ways — coaching at the park, volunteering at school, checking in on neighbors, or simply being the steady presence a child can count on. These acts rarely make headlines, but they build the foundation of a healthy community.
Father’s Day is a remind er to appreciate the people who shaped us — and to recognize the many forms fatherhood takes today. For me, it was a day of family, gratitude, and a new television set that will no doubt get plenty of use. For others, it may be a memory, a phone call, a quiet moment of reflection, or a chance to honor someone who stepped in when they were needed most.
Whatever form it takes, the day matters. It reminds us that love, responsibility, and presence still count for something — and always will.
That’s what I have for now...for what it’s worth.
Bob Bakken is Editor of the South Reporter.