Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Today we celebrate you, we thank you, we honor you. We promise to let you relax, we promise to give you our love and respect, and we promise to laugh at all your jokes. Our fathers provide half our DNA, they help to form us and who we are. The best ones love and protect us through thick and thin. They teach us valuable life lessons to help us navigate this life even long after they have gone. They shoulder so much once they become fathers, so today we say thank you and we appreciate you.

My father was a West Virginia boy through and through. He taught me how to cook, how to fish, how to sing, how to write, and how to tell a joke. He took me on rides through the countryside in his old pickup truck over winding roads in the West Virginia hills. I had my first beer with my dad. He did the best he could with us, and it took me a long time and a lot of growing up to realize that. My dad wasn’t perfect, but he loved us in his own way. Dad loved West Virginia; it was his home and the place his heart longed for when he had to be away. He passed that love of home on to us, and I’m so grateful for that. I know where home is because of him. I have a love and pride in my heart for West Virginia thanks to my dad. I always knew how important it was to him. The people, the food, the music, the scenery. He loved it all. West Virginians are quiet, somber, simple, proud, giving, stoic, hard working people. They always have time to greet their neighbors and they’ll be the first ones there to help when help is needed. Their love of their state runs deep in their blood, carried on from generations before. One of the worst things you can do is to run down West Virginia to a West Virginian… they won’t ever forget it. My dad was all these things. He taught me all these things.

I am blessed to have several wonderful fathers in my life. I watch my brother as he helps to raise his daughter, my niece, and I am sure he’s one of the best dads I’ve ever known. He protects her, he teaches her, he loves her unconditionally, he pushes her forward, he respects her, and he plays with her. They have a beautiful relationship that shows her how valuable she is as a person, and one day she will know to look for those things in someone else. What a beautiful gift to give a daughter. I am so proud of the father that he is to her.

My daughter married a wonderful man and last November they became parents to a son. My son in law is growing into his new role with ease. He helps with all the day to day necessities of diaper changing, sleepless nights, cleaning, feeding, caring and protecting. He is kind and honest and has a terrific sense of humor. He places his family first. He fixes things, he enjoys taking care of things around the house himself and loves a project. He is proud, he is reliable, smart, and hard working. I know that he will show his little boy how to be a good man, and that gives me a feeling of comfort. I know that he is a good father and husband. I couldn’t ask for a better mate for my daughter. Of course, he’s a West Virginia boy born and bred, so I’m not surprised.

My daughter’s father, my ex, is also a great father. Our daughter is almost 30, and he also has a daughter who is 8 years old now. Kudos to him for starting all over from the beginning! He has cared for our daughter, wiped her tears, jumped with her on the trampoline, let her put makeup on him and paint his nails, laughed with her, showed up at every game or competition she was ever in, and encouraged her in all her endeavors. He was always the proudest dad in the room. He has always provided for her. He has always talked with her about life, love, and the world in general. She has always known that he has her back. He does those same things for his little daughter now too, and I know she will benefit from that as much as our daughter did.

I’ve had several father figures in my life as well. The fathers of my friends, uncles, family friends… all of whom have contributed to my life and well being in so many ways. There’s no way I could list them all. I know who they are, and I remember what they’ve meant to me, and I will always consider myself lucky to have had these men in my life. Thank you fathers, dads, daddies, papas, grandfathers and uncles and brothers and sons. We know that we can always count on you. We know how hard you work. We love you for it.