The third Sunday in June is set aside for celebrating fathers. On that day dads from all around our country will be sporting new ties, drinking out of mugs sporting pictures of their children and barbequing on their new grills. Hopefully, on that day dads will also get to hear how important they are to their families and how their love, devotion and hard work is appreciated by their children. I sought out the ladies of Womens-Place and asked them to tell us about the favorite "dad" in their life. They definitely rose to the occasion, sharing poignant stories and all the wonderful qualities that make a great dad.

Let me start by sharing about the two beautiful dads in my own life. One is my own father and the other is my husband and father of our three children. My dad is an extremely kind and sensitive man; he is always friendly and no one is a stranger for long in his presence. Through my dad I learned how to be confident of who I am and what I have done. No words ever sounded more beautiful to my heart than to hear my dad say how I did something really well, and he was so proud of me.

My husband is the other favorite dad in my life. I have had the pleasure of seeing him grow as a father from the first time he held our oldest as a tiny newborn to now as he rocks our son to bed at night. Geoff is an energetic, extremely hard working father. He takes great pride in his children and works very diligently to make our house an ideal home. He loves to teach the kids different activities and is always at his best when he is running around, teasing them and acting silly. Most of all, I enjoy that incredible spark of love in his eyes when he is around our threesome. He is the man I fell in love with and is the father I always hoped to have for my children.

LarisaS ~ My Dad was great. Although there were many times I thought he was too hard on me, I learned so many lessons from him; the value of doing things right the first time, being a good person so I wouldn't dishonor my family name, and the importance of family values. My fondest memories of my childhood involve my Dad. He would often take either my brother or me on a trip to town with him. We would stop at Dairy Queen and get a Dilly Bar. "Shh, don't tell your brother," and then we'd throw our evidence away before we got in the house. How wonderful I felt to get these special treats and the time with my Dad. The other big moment in my life was on a trip home from the lumberyard. I was yakking away about things that had gone on, anything and everything. Almost home I said to Dad, "Am I talking too much?" and he said, "No." Although I was talking incessantly, he enjoyed listening to me and finding out how my life was going. I'm proud to say Aaron W. is my Dad, a Viet Nam War veteran, and wonderful husband to my Mom for almost 34 years. He's been a true hero, mentor, and role model for me.

Mom to Travis ~ From the day I was born, I was "daddy's girl". Being 1966, he wasn't in the delivery room with my mom, but when he went to the nursery to see me for the first time, he picked me out of the crowd as his daughter. Growing up he spent a little extra time with me. He would brush my long hair for what seemed like hours after my baths. He loved that time and was upset with my mom when she got my hair cut short. He died after a long battle with cancer when I was only 12. As the years have gone by, it is harder and harder to see his face in my memory, but I can still feel him brushing my long hair. I just wish he could have been here to see his grandson.

Kim Boersen ~ My parents were divorced when I was about 9, and my step-dad represents the best dad in the world. He had a very hard job of making two little girls (I have a sister two years younger.) PLUS their mom happy, and he came into our lives at a time when we were already older. He is more of a father than most biological fathers are, and my mom is the luckiest woman to find a great guy like that the second time around. He has taken care of us, worried over us, and made us mad just like a real father! He was more a part of our lives than my real father was, and he is the best grandpa I could ever ask for my kids. I cannot express how thankful I am to this man for all the years he has been the greatest dad ever! He didn't have to, but I am sure glad he came into our lives and picked us for his family.

Stephanie B ~ I am going to say my own husband!! He has been a great father. He supported me through lots of infertility crap. When we finally had our first daughter he just had a ball with her, and they became instant companions. Then when we couldn’t conceive again he was the first to get things rolling with our adoption, jumped in and was 100% supportive of that. When we brought Mason home he had such a great bond with his son, and it was so touching to see it didn’t take genetics to make him love him with all his heart. Finally our surprise little Miss Hailey came along, and I had a pretty awful pregnancy. He helped teach me to give my twice-daily injections of Heparin and was so supportive of that. Then, when my water broke at 24 weeks he became a super dad immediately. While I spent 8 weeks in the hospital he managed to keep up our house, get the kids ready each day and take them to one of our family members, so he could go to work. He brought me lunch and dinner almost everyday. He made a point to bring the kids to see me as much as he could. He fixed Sydney’s hair really cute everyday (ponytails being his specialty!), and when Hailey arrived 8 weeks early he stayed by her side for hours as they worked to get her breathing. He also was so good about letting me spend as many hours as I needed with her during her 6 weeks in the NICU, and let me spend many hours crying in his arms. He works very hard so I can stay home with my children and does everything for us! For this I think he is truly an amazing father!!

OldLadyInShoe ~ I have at least 5 earthly dads (not to mention my Heavenly Father!) who have all had a huge impact on me.
1. My paternal grandfather - He died when I was 3, but he spent a lot of time with me. He spent so much time with me that my earliest actual memories (anecdotes or situations I truly remember, as opposed to those I have just heard stories about) are of special times with him. He made me feel grown up, special and cared for.

2. My maternal grandfather - my "Papa" - He lived until I was 16 and ate dinner every night at our house. I adored him. He had a grand garden, and I learned so many "life lessons" from him and his garden. I have applied a lot of what he taught me about gardening to relationships with people. For example, he taught me a garden is more beautiful when it has diversity of colors and textures, just like my family now has a diversity of kids! And he taught me hurt or weak plants need a lot of extra TLC, but they are worth it, also true for parenting children with special needs. I could go on and on, if I had more time!

3. My own dad - He was a wonderful man, and he died 8 years ago. I miss him dearly! In fact, when I was reading this question of the day, I was eating blackberries, his very favorite food, and thinking of him even before I saw the question. He was a true athlete, and he lived by this credo "It does not matter if you win or lose, but how you play the game." Again, this applies to so much of life, beyond sports. He also taught me to be involved in the larger community; he was very active in the civic life, running for and serving on the school board. He also won a prestigious award for lifetime community service. He was truly my role model and hero in many ways. He really stood up for the rights of women. He had three daughters, and he was always advocating for girls and women's opportunities in our community and throughout the state. He was also a TERRIFIC grandfather to ALL of my kids! He took an active and personal interest in EACH one of them, which is no small task in our family!

4. My husband's dad - OK, I won't go into a lot of detail. Let's just say, he was the example we did not want to follow. But we loved him, and he did teach us a lot, even if it was in reverse.

5. Finally, my husband - He is an AWESOME dad. Ever since we first had kids he has been the stay-at-home dad. He gets up at 4 a.m. everyday and never gets to bed before 11:30 p.m. He often gets up in the night when one of the kid’s feeding tube alarms goes off, etc. He reads to the grandchildren everyday. He cooks and cleans. He goes to school meetings and doctor appointments, and takes a personal interest in each child individually. He takes the time to truly learn about each of their strengths, as well as their disabilities, and is constantly trying to be an even better dad and granddad. He is truly AWESOME.

Julianna’s Mom ~ I will have to say it is a tie between my dad and my husband. I have always been and will always be my daddy's girl. I'm a lot like him in many ways, and maybe that's why the times we had/have together are always so special. He used to do some carpentry, and he always loved to have me help him. I remember some really special moments down in his workshop building whatever was his project at the time. (Usually something for me such as a little cabinet to put my dish set in or a playhouse for my sister and me.) He also made sure to create traditions for us, like every Friday night he would rent a movie, buy some chips, pop and ice cream, and we would watch the movie while drinking ice cream floats and eating chips. As we got older, and our Friday nights were taken up by friends or work or something, he would find other things to do to make things special, like making an extra fancy breakfast on Sunday mornings complete with wine glasses full of juice and shaved chocolate on the pancakes. For me, the best qualities he had were how he always made us feel special and loved. He has never been good with words, but he has shown his love through his actions a hundred-fold!

Now, the other favorite dad in my life is my husband. I never could have imagined he would be the kind of dad I see today. I always thought he would be good with children, but until I saw him with his own child I never fully understood how good he is with them. I love just watching them together; they seemed to have a connection right from her birth. When she was a tiny baby, he was in school. He would prop her up against him as he read for one of his classes, and she would just fall asleep, so peaceful being next to him. Of course, Julianna has him wrapped around her little finger, and he cannot resist her at all. He plays with her nonstop, making her giggle until she is exhausted. He also loves her in a way that is so touching. The way she can find comfort in just sitting in his lap, or the way a smile lights up in his face and eyes when she says "Oh daddy" is just too amazing to really fully express in words. Heck, I am bringing myself to tears just thinking about it. Anyways, my favorite memory with him would have to be when she was a tiny baby. She would get so upset sometimes and all he would have to do is hold her hand and she would calm down. I loved seeing that big strong hand envelope over her tiny fingers. So sweet!

Cheri A ~ There are 3 fathers in my life I would like to tribute.

The first is my own father who passed away when he was only 39 years old; I was 17 years old at the time. He was a dad that traveled a lot and wasn't there for a lot of the day-to-day things in our lives. But I always remember him calling home every night to talk to us and say good night. He loved sports and the ocean. We had great vacations in the Florida Keys that were so much fun every year. Every Sunday afternoon he'd take us out on our boat for a cruise up the waterway. I was not into fishing, but my brother was and he would often take him fishing. I often wonder what he'd think of his grandchildren and how fun it would be to see him with them. My son, Nicholas, has his name as his middle name (Nicholas Charles).

The second dad I think of is my husband. Like many of you have said already, it is amazing to see the bond he has with our kids and what a special relationship he has with each of them. He is very involved in every aspect of their lives and pitches in whenever I need him to, from getting up in the night with a sick kid or doing a load of laundry I didn't get to. Right now, he and Carleigh have this little lingo going on. She calls him "Daddy-O" and he calls her "Carleigh-O". They both just get a kick out of it, and it's so cute. When he leaves early to work and they are sleeping, he leaves a note on the table and usually calls them to say good morning.

The third person I think of is my stepfather. My mother waited many years to remarry because of us. She wanted to help us heal and deal with our father's death, so she put that part of her life on hold for a while. She married Jimmy 3 years after my husband and I married, and he is a total opposite of what my father was. We had a few rocky years because he just didn't fit into my expectations of who he should be. He's a “rough around the edges” guy who likes to tease, but it comes out very sarcastic and biting at times. I just didn't know how to take him. However, through the last 8 years, I have been amazed at the grandfather he is to my children. He loves them as if they were his own flesh and blood. He has arelationship with both of them, and when we are together he gets Nick outside and teaches him about car motors (that's his big hobby) and just loves on them both. He has let Carleigh "do his hair" (what little there is). When his own daughter announced 2 years ago she was expecting his "first grandchild", he quickly told her it would be his fourth grandchild. While it made me feel good to hear him confirm he loves our kids, I'm sure it made her feel a little sad, too.

Ginger ~ I grew up with a step-dad, and he certainly was not a good dad. He didn't give us a lot of attention unless he was yelling at us or punishing us. I really didn't even know how much I was missing out on, until I went on a geology field trip in college and one of my professors brought his son. It was amazing seeing how the two of them interacted. Dr. K's son, Ross, was 8 years old, and I could tell they had a good, strong, solid bond. Dr. K gave Ross the perfect balance of freedom and rules, affection and discipline, and tons of encouragement to explore, learn and grow. Although I only spent a few weeks on that trip, it was my first introduction to how good a father could be, and I found myself wondering how differently I would have turned out, had I had such a good dad.

When I met my husband, I knew he would be a good dad, too, because he had so many of the same traits when it came to parenting. (He has a daughter from a previous marriage, so I got to see his parenting skills in action before I married him!) I feel my husband goes a little overboard on the discipline sometimes, but overall, I think he is a GREAT dad, too!

Elizabeth G ~Neither my dad nor my step-dad would qualify as good parents, in my honest opinion, so I cannot name either one of them for this question. My husband is a GREAT dad, but there is someone else I would like to write about for this, because he has just been a WONDERFUL person for so many years of my life.

The favorite "dad" in my life is my best friend's father. When I was almost 18 years old, I had had all I could take of the abuse from my stepfather. I told my mother I could not, would not stay another night under the same roof with my stepfather. She told me to hit the road. So, I did. I called a friend from church, an older lady, and she came and brought me to live with her. Well, a couple of weeks into it, I came to find out she and my mom were becoming fast friends and were saying all kinds of untrue things behind my back, making plans for my future that were NOTHING like I was going to do. So, when that lady left that evening I called my best friend. I was bawling so bad, I didn't even get to tell her what was wrong. She hung up and was there within minutes.

She packed all my stuff and took me home with her. Now, she was married (still in high school and married - and yes, she graduated!!!), so I lived with her and her husband for the last few weeks of high school. But during those few weeks, I got to see just how awesome HER dad was/is. He would do anything; I mean ANYTHING, for his kids. And what is even more, I truly believe he would do the same for me that he would do for them. Oh, maybe not to the same extremes, because after all, I am not his child, but I hope you can see what I mean. He means a lot to me, and I mean a lot to him. We bonded. He knew my step-dad and how he is, and he hated him for the things he has done. (Although my step-dad has changed now, and is wonderful with Hailey.... go figure.)

There is just so much I could say about this man and his kindness, his "awesomeness" as a dad, but I will summarize it with these final few thoughts. I was passing by his house the other day, and it hit me, he is getting older. I could hardly keep from crying, just to think of the day that will come when we will have to say goodbye forever to him. He is truly like a father to me, and I will cry for him as if I were his child. I love him dearly.

Host Tmommy ~ I have to say this is a tough pick for me. My husband is the best father I could have ever asked for my daughter. He came into our family when she was 2 years old and took over as if she was of his blood. After we were married he adopted her and said he would die for her. He has no biological children, and we are having a hard time getting pregnant, but he says, "I have one more child than I ever thought I would." I am so blessed to have him and my daughter is even more blessed to have this man as her father for always!!

Now my other choice is my Dad. He died in 1994 in a car accident when I was 22 years old. I was just getting to the point where my Daddy held the world again. Little did I know he thought I held the moon!!! I found this out too late, and I am very sad I missed out on my Dad in my adult life. He was a wonderful Dad. He did everything to make sure I did not hurt, want or need. He was there for me when I needed him. He gave me emotional support (as a friend would) the summer before he died, when I was breaking up with a longtime boyfriend. I know now I have missed out on the "greatest man" and the world is a little sadder, a little dimmer, and a little less full because "MY DADDY" is gone!

Host Junior67 ~ I have two GREAT "dads" in my life. The first is my stepfather. I never got into calling him dad. My parents divorced when I was young and I lived with my dad until I was a senior in high school. My mom and step-dad married when I was 8 years old. But now I always say "my parents" when referring to him and my mom. We have had many rough times and he was very closed off at first, but over the years he has warmed up, and we have a GREAT relationship. He would do, and has done, anything for my family and me. Watching the relationship with him and Kailey is just amazing. He has never once thought of her as other than his granddaughter. Since she was the first, and we lived with them for many years, the bond is just amazing. My parents moved to Florida this year and I miss them BOTH so much.

The other GREAT dad in my life is my husband! He is just so amazing and came into my life when Kailey was 4 ½ years old. He is so much better than her dad has EVER been! Now they have some MAJOR rough times, and Kailey loves to throw out he doesn't love her. Hopefully, as she grows she will see just how much he really loves her and thinks of her as his own. When I was pregnant with Nikki he never said he was having his first child as he already had one, and he would be sure to correct anyone that made that comment. Watching him with Nikki from the second she was born has been amazing! If he has to work late one of his first thoughts is he will not make it home in time to put Nikki to bed, as we both do this. He gets up with her on Sunday mornings (and Saturday if he isn’t working), so they have their special time together. He does most of the cleaning around the house even though he works full time. He is just the BEST here is. I sure lucked out when I found him!

Oh and I can't forget my father-in-law, as that is where my husband learned to be like he is. My father-in-law would do anything for us and is wonderful. He treats my mother-in-law like GOLD, and I know after watching them he is the one my husband learned what he does from. I am so blessed to have that whole family, as they are wonderful!!!!!

Janaz ~ I'd have to say my dad. I actually have kind of a personal story, one I don't share too much. Before I was born my mom wasn't sure who my father was. Let's just say she got interrupted on her walk home; the guy later went to jail. After my son was born, and I was really emotional, I called and asked my mom about it. Did she love me before I was born considering what had happened? Talking with my father he assured me I was HIS daughter. Never mind what the SOB had done to my mom. I would be raised, loved and protected as his firstborn regardless. My dad is the one I identify with. He is the one that slept by my bed at night when I had bad dreams. He is the one that sang me songs, and he gave me the stuffed animal grandma made for him when he was an infant. He wrote me a letter for my 13th birthday about the Jewish tradition of becoming an adult and how he would strive to treat me like one. My father is firm, but fair. If asked his opinion he will tell you what he thinks, even if it’s not what you want to hear. When he says he will do something, it will be done. I learned about truth and dependability from him. My father actually lives his ideals. He goes out of his way to do what is right even when it isn't the norm. I had a very involved father. He raised us to be independent, and he is proud of all for his children, all six of us, though he says none of us turned out how he expected. When I asked him once for advice on children he said, "Love them and make sure they know they are loved. Do everything with that in mind and it will work." I feel very lucky to have the parents I do.

Bubbly Bev ~ Father's Day is a little sad for me, too, since my dad passed away December 29, 2001. He died from melanoma that metastasized to his brain. He was 58 years old. He left behind his wife (my mom), who was 55 years old at the time. He also left my two brothers, two sisters, four grandchildren and me. Two more grandchildren have been born since then.

In the two years since he died, I have come to understand a lot of things I never understood while I was growing up and living at home. My dad was always the "strong, silent type" who didn't show his emotions and didn't have much to say. Unfortunately, as a child I misinterpreted this as a lack of caring. I knew I was loved, but I longed to hear the actual words more often than I did.

My dad worked very hard and stayed very busy, even up until about a month before he died. He built his own business from basically nothing. It grew into a very successful livelihood for him and my mom, and eventually my oldest brother. Because of this, he was at work when the sun came up, and often didn't get home until after dark. His job was in the construction business, so he had to work while the sun was shining. When he would get home, he'd be so tired and covered with all kinds of dirt and grime. Then he'd have to make phone calls for his business, and we would have to be quiet so he could hear. He didn't have much time or energy left after all that. But I do remember times when he would help me study for tests. He was a math whiz and could do the most complicated equations in his head without using a calculator. (I wish I had inherited that!!) And I remember many Saturdays when he would hitch up the boat trailer and go fishing, and he'd let me tag along. He didn't even complain when he'd have to stop and let me go to the little girls' room, as little girls have to do quite often!

My dad was also a musician and every Saturday night he would get together with some other guys and play music. He was a pro on the bass guitar, and he had a voice of pure gold. He sounded just like Johnny Cash. As a matter of fact, my screen name here came from a song my dad made up just for me and would sing to me all the time when I was little. He'd sing, "Oh, my Bubbly, Bubbly Sue.... Oh my Bubbly, Bubbly Sue.... Jiminy Cricket, Jiminy Jack, you make my heart go clickety-clack.... Oh, my Bubbly, Bubbly Sue." Makes me get all teary to think about it now, even though it was a rather silly song! Sometimes I think I can still hear him singing. When he was so sick, there at the end, we would sing to him to pacify him. I was remembering yesterday how just about a week before he died, I was sitting with him and asked him what song he wanted to sing. You know what he said? He wanted to sing, "This Little Light Of Mine". It just made me think of how in the Bible, Jesus tells us to be as little children, and at 58 years old this children’s' song brought comfort to my dying father.

I wish I would have known while he was alive there are more ways to say, "I love you" than just with words. My dad showed a great deal of love in more ways than I ever noticed. Hindsight is 20/20, of course, and I do see it now. I only wish I had the chance to tell him. I long to wrap my arms around his neck and give him a big hug and a kiss on the cheek, and tell him I am so proud he was my dad. And how I would love to introduce him to his newest grandson, although I have a feeling they have already met.

Dawn G ~ There is one man in my life that stands out as a great "dad". It's my husband. I have a lot of reasons why I think this. I was raised by a single mom, and was told all my life my dad did not want me. I think you can imagine the harm this did to my self-image. If I was not good enough for my own father to stick around, then I must be a worthless person. I looked up to many manly figures in my life, and had hopes and dreams of a "daddy" who would hold me and give me the strength I needed to get through life’s rough times. Then, I decided as a teen I "didn't need no stinking man". Honestly though I came to distrust all people of the male gender, after years of viewing what they could do: abuse, neglect, etc. While dating them I had a "one strike and you’re out" policy I stuck by. I broke many hearts this way, but I just felt I could not trust them wholly.

Then, I came to know God and began to trust some, but not wholly for a long time. God sent me my husband while I was healing from all of the above. He is a man of his word. A man you can trust, a man who will fight for you, a man who loves his children with all he has in him. He cried with me when we lost babies and rejoices at all the joys parenting entails. I'll never forget how he eagerly reached into the bassinet and gingerly lifted our preemie baby, our firstborn, out of it. I was breathless because I thought he'd be nervous to hold one so tiny. He looked at me and said, "this is my baby girl, and of course I would want to hold her." He has spent many hours changing diapers, reading books, and wrestling. His job is very physically demanding, and he comes home weary, yet he never picks up a paper or turns on the news. He is all into the family when he arrives home. As much as possible he leaves his work on Sunday school lessons until our children are in bed. He always says, "My children come first." He has spent many hours up late talking to a teen that is upset. (She is a hormonal, firstborn perfectionist...need I say more?) He has said on many occasions he wants his daughters to feel loved and important so they don't go "looking for love in the arms of an all-too-eager boy." He allows a little boy to follow him around and slow down his progress while working with tools because he knows how important it is for them to be with dad while he is doing these "man jobs". He has done a fabulous job doing what he can to help our child with special needs reach his full potential. He is fully involved in all decisions regarding our children. He has spent the kids’ entire young lives teaching them about God and why he serves Him. His hope is all his children will come to know God before they pass on to the next life. I think he is leaving a legacy of hope for the future. I know without a doubt, next to God, he is the most important male figure in our children's lives.

On Father’s Day this year, I hope you are able to reflect on the wonderful "dad" in your own life. Whether that man is your own father, a stepfather, a grandfather or a fatherly figure, take a few moments on June 20th to share with him, and thank him for being such an important person in your life.

~Lynette is a wife & mom of three from the Pacific Northwest. She feels incredibly blessed this year to share Father’s Day with two of her favorite men, her husband & her own Dad.