FATHER'S DAY in Orlando, Florida

My first memories of a Father's Day celebration was at age four or five. Before we left for Church, Mom took us to the rose bushes and said, "Pick one". My younger brother and I picked our pink roses, and Mama pinned them on our collars. We had done this a few weeks earlier for Mother's Day.

Mom explained if your Dad was alive, you wore a pink or red rose. If your father has passed away, you wore a white rose. I was particularly sensitive to those who wore white roses; it saddened me. As I recall, my cousin wore a white rose for her father who died in France on "D-Day". She lived with my Grandparents and wore a pink rose for Papa. Men like my Papa make Father's Day special. A man, who raised seven daughters and one son, had two strokes, took my cousin and treated her as his most special granddaughter.

As for my Dad, he was smart and a great father. Dad loved sports. To live in our house, everybody had to love sports. We traveled to ballgames throughout the state. I knew more stats when I was ten than most sports pundits knew. Naturally, my passion today is a good football game. Dad gave us what we needed and not what we wanted. However, we seemed to have everything we wanted. He loved my Mom, my brother and me. It did not hurt that my brother grew up to be an outstanding athlete in several sports. He and Dad bonded in a way that I could never bond with Dad. Nevertheless, I was "Daddy's Little Girl". Dad remained loyal to The Veterans of World War II, "The Greatest Generation", until his death in 1991.

From History.com, "The History of Father's Day", the first celebration was in 1908 in West Virginia after an explosion killed 361 men. Another celebration took place on June 19, 1910. A thankful daughter and her siblings honored their father, a civil war veteran. The family wanted to honor him for taking care of the family after the death of their mother. They chose June, his birth month. President Coolidge (1924), President Johnson (1966) and President Nixon contributed to the observance of Father's Day. President Nixon established a National Father's Day Observance in 1972.

Fathers come in all shapes, sizes, ages and cultures. No matter how awkward the tie, or the six wallets he has put aside, or one more coffee mug, he appreciates the gift, card, phone call or email.

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY