Honoring my father was becoming harder every year. He’s not the kind who gets all soft and gooey from cards with flowery words or mushy sayings. I think those things have made him uncomfortable in the past. I have also given him some memorable plaques declaring he is the greatest dad in the world, a cup with the same saying and even a golf towel with declaring him beyond compare. The ties, slippers, books, etc. that sprinkled his life always were well received and he seems to be happy no matter what I give him, but I hadn’t quite knocked his socks off with something new and original that would show him just how special he really is. Then last May I came across an article that suggested photo Father’s Day cards for the man who has everything.
What a fresh and delightful idea for a gift to a man who has meant everything to me – the chance to bring him tangible and poignant memories of our shared history. I searched through all the family photos from my childhood up until the present day for pictures of my dad and me together. I scanned the pictures, then arranged them haphazardly and cropped them to overlap so they looked like scattered leaves from the past. At the bottom of the card I wrote “Thanks for the Memories”. Inside I simply put “Happy Father’s Day from a daughter who loves you.” If you could see his face when he opened that card you would understand how wonderfully amazing that moment was. You could see that he understood how completely I appreciated being his daughter and that was worth the world to me. The most amazing thing about pleasing someone you love is that it gives you just as much pleasure.
This year I will once again be doing a special photo for my Father’s Day cards. I have found some really cute pictures of his my brother and sisters as babies, and mine will be the largest in the center. I think this year I will make him laugh. I love make memories with memories and I have found the ideal way to knock my dad’s socks off. A new tradition begins.
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Awwww it’s sweet that you found something to turn your dad into mush. I would like to try something like that for my dad.
That is a wonderful gift and idea. I have a picture of me and my dad working on his old Mustang. I must have been like 7 at the time and i was holding a can of oil. I always loved that picture. I had a huge smile on my face and my dad was giving my mom the thumbs up. That would make a great gift for him this fathers day.
My dad is a man of few words and fewer facial expressions. I’m guessing that if I could collect a bunch of family photos from days gone by and arrange them in a collage featuring mom, dad, my three brothers and myself he’d smile broadly. I still wouldn’t bet on him uttering a word but we’d all know how he feels by that wide grin.
As a parent, I can tell you that the phrase “it’s the thought that counts” is especially true when it comes to gifts from our children. Taking the time to find a nice photo and sending that with a heartfelt message on a card is better than any tie or cologne or watch….and less expensive, which also makes us happy.
This is a good way to make sure that your cards don’t end up in the recycling bin. I love cards but don’t keep all of them because I hate clutter, more. However, I keep all cards received that include a picture.