Health & Fitness
Take Time to Appreciate the Man Who Made YOU Possible
What is Father's Day really about?
In the days and weeks as Father’s Day approaches we are bombarded with “the perfect gift to give Dad this father’s day”. With companies like Macy’s and Hallmark leading the charge on what they believe Father’s Day is all about...But as you buy your cards and ties and whatever else Dad desires this Sunday I beg you to take the time to appreciate what father’s day is truly about...its about the man who made YOU possible!
Now if your Dad is anything like my Dad there are days when he can drive you to drink! My father was a traditional Italian Patriarch, the center of our family. He was an exceptional outdoors men devoting much of his free time to hunting and fishing. My aunt Linda always tells us that from the time my father was about 2 he would beg her to take him to the local fishing spot and I will tell you that I have seen more deer carcases than I care to count. He worked hard to give us a beautiful life.
Nicknamed “the crazy man” by my sister Christina, which grew to become a term of endearment in our family. My father was full of love...communication on the other hand...not his best attribute. Looking back our fondest memories of him usually include him yelling over something ridiculous...like holding the flashlight steady or how to properly hold the rake...what we wouldn’t give to have him yell at us one more time.
My father got very ill in the summer of 2009. On August 15th his journey continued into a place we could not follow. I wake up everyday in disbelief that it happened. We buried him in St. Isadore Cemetery in Riverhead because we believed it was most like upstate New York where he spent his childhood and close to Sound Avenue where he would ride his Harley from my parents house in Wading River all the way to Orient and back. He loved that ride.
I can remember speaking with a friend just after my father’s passing and asking if she believed my father missed us. He was always such a big part of our lives that I wonder if it were difficult if he were now a spectator instead of a participant. She told me to remember the message he sent me just after his death. Benjamin and I were driving and I was a hysterical mess just one day after we buried my father. I never had an opportunity to discuss death with him...how was I to know that he would be ok. We pull up to a stop light and Ben turns to me in disbelief...”Jeannie, can you read the licence plate in front of us”...I wiped by eyes with my hands sat up straight and felt an instance sense of peace...it read DADZ OK...
Even in retelling of this story I can feel my eyes well up with tears. From that point forward I have been convinced that he is in a better place, watching over us as he did in life...working to better himself for our reunion one day...again, what I would not give to have that crazy man yell at me one more time.
So this Sunday as you shower Dad with cards and gifts I pray that you will take a moment to really appreciate the person who helped to create you. Remember that his blood flows in your veins and even when he drives you crazy he will always be your dad...even if he is watching over you from heaven.
I wish upon you a variation the toast my family has created since my father’s passing...
“To all the “Crazy Men” out there, without which this day would not be possible”
All that I do I do in memory of Peter Michael Fanelli Jr., the best Daddy a girl could ever ask for...
Happy Father’s Day,
- Jeannie Sargent