Remember That, Dad? Thanks, Dad

I just posted this on the Catholic Dads blog:


For reasons unbeknownst to me, last month I happened to call to mind a talk I heard at a Camporee (a Boy Scout camping weekend) when I was 13, some 17 years ago.

The context for the talk, as I recall, was that the speaker's dad had died unexpectedly. This fellow, in turn, was recounting an imaginary conversation with his dad, reflecting on all of the good childhood memories he had shared with him. These were the things he wishes he would have been able to actually say to his dad, but never had the chance to.

The lesson of the talk was that each of us should never be hesitant to express our gratitude toward those we love; otherwise, we may lose the chance to do so (in the present life, at least).

I can't recall any of his specific recollections, but I very distinctly recall his refrain, so to speak. After recounting each memory, he said:

Remember that, Dad? Thanks, Dad.

With Father's Day coming up this Sunday, I would encourage each of my fellow Catholic Dads—and, anyone else too, for that matter—to similarly express such gratitude to our own dads for any of the various childhood memories we hold dear.