Dear Father

Dear Father,

I thought of you today, and hoped you were doing well. I got to thinking about the role you”ve had in my life, and the things I”ve left unsaid. If you have a moment, I”d like to say them to you now.

Dear Father,

Thank you for always being there. You have been a constant presence in my life. I always knew that I could count on you to be around, and I thank you for that consistency.

Dear Father,

Thank you for all of the words you”ve spoken to me over the years, even when it seemed like I wasn”t listening or that I thought I knew better. Although I have never told you, I did hear you. I appreciate all of the time that you put into the words you say and how you say them.

Dear Father,

Thank you for never taking a day off. Being a father is a 24 hours per day, 7 days per week job. Even when you were trying take time for yourself, even when you were on your day off, and even when it was your vacation, you dropped everything when I needed you. You know that evil never takes a day off, so neither do you.

Dear Father,

Thank you for being an example of true masculinity. Thank you for being faithful to your promises, for admitting your weaknesses, and remaining strong in your convictions. You are an example for my husband and sons to follow, and I am truly grateful.

Dear Father,

Thank you for the times you were severe. Thank you for not sugar coating the truth. When I made big mistakes, you didn”t make excuses for me.  You told me what I had done wrong and challenged me to be better. Even though I may not like it, please continue to do so, because I need it.

Dear Father,

Thank you for loving my children. Thank you for greeting them with joy and for being an example for them. You see them at their best and sometimes at their worst. You teach them and encourage them, and I know you will be a cherished guide for them throughout their lives.

Dear Father,

Thank you for your compassion. Thank you for listening and for not judging. Thank you for chastising without condemning, and for correcting without discouraging. The trust I place in you is one of the greatest gifts that I have, and I will do my best to be appreciative.

Dear Father,

Thank you for doing a job that people criticize you for. Thank you for enduring rude looks and for being the punch line of jokes. This world places a heavy burden on your shoulders, and I know that you do your best to carry it.

To every priest who has been a part of my life, the priest who baptized me, and the priests who taught my CCD classes, to the priests who celebrated Mass at my high school, the priests who came to retreats and lock-ins, to the priest who heard my first, true confession, and never saw me again, to the priests who lived in the dormitories on my college campus, the priests who were my professors, and the priests who greet my family at our parish every Sunday:

Thank you, my dear Father.

Lauren Meyers

Lauren Meyers

Lauren Meyers is a 28 year old wife and a mother. She experienced the love of the Lord on a high school retreat, picked up a Bible and the Liturgy of the Hours, and hasn't turned back since. Holding a BA in Classics and Religious Studies and an MA in Education, she currently works as a Campus Minister in Indiana.

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