RURAL REFLECTIONS: June is bursting out all over

Indeed it is! And, this column comes out at one of the best times. Father’s Day is on Sunday and as it happens often, so is my birthday. It is a month of weddings, graduations, anniversaries and all of the other birthdays that aren’t mine.

My sister is named June. She was born on June 1. We don’t really know if the name came from the day of her birth or just a nice name that was originally her middle name but soon became her first. The month starts off well with the day of her arriving. However, I do believe my birthday was the one most often talked about.

Yes, it was tobacco planting time when Ruth went into labor. With hurried transfers on the tobacco planter, my dad hopped off and took her to the hospital. An adorable little curly haired girl arrived. Ta-da!

This brings us to how a father becomes as such and why we celebrate him in June. Well, I’m not sure why we celebrate him in June, but that’s neither here nor there. Fathers. Where would we be without them?

My dad taught me to fish. It was probably one of the most important relationship-building activity that a kid can do with her dad. In fact, he probably bought my fishing pool before I was born just waiting for a sidekick. June didn’t like to fish.

As with many of you, there were others I considered “fathers.” Often we fail to realize the impact we have on children and how they see us. Missing my father is like missing a very important part of my heart.

So to all of you dads, uncles, brothers, neighbors, pastors, cousins ... all of you who interact with children, I wish you a Happy Father’s Day.

June is bursting out all over. Celebrate!