This special day gives us the opportunity to thank our dads for all they’ve done to enhance our lives.
In honor of Father’s Day, we’ve invited readers to share examples of exemplary parenting. The responses you’ll see make it clear that a loving bond can come in many forms.
Each of these parent/child examples reflect a unique relationship molded by life’s circumstances and the personalities involved. We hope they’ll inspire our readers to think about their own families and the variety of ways in which we can model behavior and demonstrate our love for one another.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or MMoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.
The best birthday present I ever received was my son, Keontay. He was initially scheduled to be born on my mom’s birthday, but decided he was ready to come into the world on my birthday instead.
This little mini-me has changed my life and made me more responsible because I have to set a good example for my son to follow, just as my mom did for me.
I’m a military brat, born at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. I know from watching my mom that it is very important to give children lots of love and always do what you say you are going to do.
We bonded as I learned how to change diapers, fix bottles, feed him and dress him. One time he threw up all over my shirt but it didn’t even matter. To watch this little baby grow over the last year has been amazing. He looks just like me and my mom says he acts just like me. I love music and I got that from my dad. I’ll sit in my room at the computer with Keontay on my lap listening to music and making CD’s. Keontay starts rocking to the beat and clapping his hands and does the same thing when we’re in church on Sundays. We play outside and I pull him around in his wagon or play with his rocking horse. I never dreamed that I would be blowing bubbles or singing nursery rhymes, but that little guy has made me do a lot of things. I look forward to the childhood things like graduating from kindergarten, playing football, and going to teacher’s conferences. I just want Keontay to grow up feeling that I love him and will do anything for him. I want to be his hero.
— Dontay Williams, Huber Heights
My husband, Ted Loose, is a stay-at-home dad. We have 5-year-old twin girls – Sara and Kristi. I think they have a special relationship, and it shows in their interests. They love to dig up worms and hold bugs in their hands — not typical girly things. They also love to “help” in the garage — handing Daddy tools and washing the van.
— Mary Loose, Springboro
My husband, David Terrell, was a great dad to our four children as babies and now, as adults.
Our two daughters remember they would have to remind him it was bedtime as he laid in bed with them reading books!
He was strong with his spiritual convictions and his goal to raise them to be good thinkers. When video games came out in the ’80s, he told our sons that we would not have them in our home. They argued that their friends had them. He said their friends were welcome to our home at any time and that he would be glad to play Monopoly with all of them.
When our boys were young we farmed for nine years in Clinton County. One Halloween we invited their classmates for a Halloween farm party: hayrides, bonfire and games. At one of the graduations years later a young man approached me and said it was one of the best parties ever.
David graduated from United Seminary here in Dayton and has pastored at Quaker meetings, farmed, and worked as a case manager with people with mental illness. His example of service to our children has inspired them and led them to service-based lives.
Currently, David is spending three weeks with our daughter-in- law and their twins born in May in Brattleboro, Vt., while our son is hospitalized. He told me he was able to feed the babies through the night and allow their mother to have a full night’s sleep. That is the way he has lived his life.
— Nancy Terrell, Dayton
It was Daddy — Haywood Hairston Jr. — who took off work and drove me to the Cleveland Clinic on three different occasions, and although Daddy hates hospitals, it was him sitting in the waiting room while I had my spinal tap. It was Daddy I called whenever something went wrong in my apartment, or when the car stopped or my computer didn’t work.
We have spent so much time together over the years, doing everything like going to the movies, out to dinner, concerts, plays and cruises to just hanging out in the living room talking. We share the good, the bad and the ugly.
He always said “yes” – yes, you can win the spelling bee; yes, you can pass algebra; yes, you can get your college degree; yes, you can pass your state boards. Yes, you can, you have my support. What motivation!
— Ginger Bryant, Middletown
My parents were very young when I was born. While I’m close to both parents, my daddy, Ken Jackson, and I share a special bond. When I was a toddler, my mom would play cards one night per month with her girlfriends and my daddy would stay home with me but he didn’t call it “baby-sitting.”
As I grew older, we would make peanut butter cookies on those nights. My daddy taught me that my job, making the fork prints in the cookies, was the most important part of making good peanut butter cookies.
I’ve always felt like I could talk to my dad about anything. He helped me work through the typical dramas of high school, college and young adulthood.
He taught me that working hard is important, but so is playing hard. For our 40th and 60th birthdays, we went to a working Montanta ranch for a week. It’s an experience I’ll cherish forever — not only for the wonderful horseback riding, but for the conversations we had in the car going to and from the ranch.
My dad is retired now, and just this morning, I met my dad for a ride on the bike trail. It’s critical for us to spend time together, just chatting and sharing. We talk about whatever’s on our minds, and we generally don’t share those conversations with anyone. It may mean one of us has to get up early; it may mean the other has to work late that evening. It doesn’t matter — it’s “our” time.
— Kimberly Jackson Kubik, Oakwood
My husband and I have a 23-month-old little girl named Hailie. He is so tender and extremely gentle with our little girl and sings to her every night.
He has made many sacrifices for us in the last two years. Billy works two jobs up until he was laid off in February, he is going to school full time, and best of all, trying to manage time for us. I just wish he knew how important and how much I appreciate everything he is and does for us.
— Melinda Cox, Huber Heights
My father, Muriel Harrison, is a very special father. My mother died when I was 3 years old and my brother was 6. Our father was 27 and raised us as a single parent.
My dad taught my brother and I great morals and values that are still with both of today.
— Sabrina Harrison, Clayton
My husband is a soccer official in his spare time and has a great interest in the sport of soccer.
We have 3 children – ages 15, 12 and 8. Our oldest daughter, Kati, is also a soccer fan and Jim has mentored her to become a soccer official as well. She has been officiating for a full year now, often as an assistant on my husband’s games, and just recently officiated her first games as the head referee. She enjoys watching soccer with her dad. They often rewind plays and calls made by the official and discuss and debate the calls. They have a good relationship not only as father and daughter, but also as mentor and student. It’s fun to see the other side of their relationship and the love they share for the game of soccer.
Holly Molnar, Kettering
Jim Rzecznik has been an intricate part of the lives of his children in spite of his hectic schedule working and traveling for the government.
He and two sons have been active in Indian Guides — they create, have get-togethers, learn from the fathers and camp. Jim is involved in the baseball league of both sons, being the assistant manager and score keeper for both the teams.
Never does he miss an evening meal — his sons discuss their activities of the day and get feedback from Dad. Little Cara Marie, the apple of Dad’s eye, runs to him when he comes home from work and carries her through the house on his shoulders.
Jim has taught his children the value of family, faith and country.
— Mary L. Diaspro, mother-in-law, Beavercreek
I go to school and work two jobs, so my husband, Donnie, is Mr. Mom. He cooks, he cleans, he takes care of our two daughters, ages 3 and 2. He even let them paint his toenails one time. That’s a good daddy!
— Amanda Thomas, Dayton
I have always been close to my dad, Jon Gentry, but this year has brought us closer than ever. This past March my father was suffering from kidney failure and was placed on dialysis. I decided to donate a kidney to my father in March.
Since the surgery my dad and I joke about my kidney. I love my father and wanted to give him a chance to live a long life.
— Chelsea Gentry, Miami Twp.
Steve Langemo is both a full-time dad and a full-time worker — a musician and guitar instructor. Some weeks he is gone every night for rehearsals or gigs. He may come in at 2 a.m. and then get up with 3-year-old Zoe at 7 a.m. He has done this for three years seamlessly. No matter how tired he is, he is an incredibly patient, laid-back, and fun dad.
From the time Zoe was born, Steve pitched in changing diapers, bathing, feeding and doing the everyday parenting. He gets right down on the floor with her to play dolls, paint, make figures with playdough or play whatever her favorite game of the day is. He has taken Zoe to a variety of daytime enrichment classes since she was 4 months old. They have had fun in several music and painting classes as well as gymnastics and swim lessons. He really is an amazing dad, and Zoe adores him.
— Bree Langemo, St. Anne’s Hill, Dayton, and mother-in-law Leslie Gronneberg of
Arizona
Tim Bartlett started out as a father with premature, identical twin daughters sent home with apnea monitors that went off constantly, day and night. Tim was present from the beginning, changing diapers, getting up with his daughters, giving baths. A son arrived two years later, then another set of natural, identical twin girls were born.
Tim expertly has taken care of all five when his wife, Cori, works as an RN. He works full time and still manages to take time off for special events for his kids. He is always reading books (using funny voices), playing games, doing puppet shows, and making the kids laugh. He is a role model father because of his love of his wife and children and his deep faith.
— Mother-in-law Pat Acker, Beavercreek
Dad Storms In
I was adopted at the very young age of 9 months and have had the most wonderful loving parents anyone could ever have hoped for. My father, known to most as “stormin Norman,” entered my life that day and I cherish him, love him and am thankful that even though my parents could not have children that they “chose” me to be their very own.
My father is a loving man who enters people lives and nurtures them, cares for their needs forgetting his own, and would do anything to put a smile on someone’s face or make their life easier. A church going-man whose faith in God is very strong, my father believes that every person has “goodness” inside of them just waiting to shine. He has always stressed that life is good and that we should understand that we make our lives what it is.
— Suzanne Bergman, Dayton
I have had my father, Bernard Sheppard, in my life for 50 years. I was unable to have children, and my father has been my life. We fish, watch movies, listen to music, attend church and have many common interests.
In 2008 my father was diagnosed with late stage prostate and bone cancer, and is terminal. We make the most of everyday; it is like a gift. He never complains of pain, and does not want to be a burden. He is in remission at the moment, and I am so thankful that I have his love, support and guidance. He tells me I will always be his angel, his little girl.
Some people look at parents as a burden; I look at it as a blessing.
— Bernardine Sanders, Lebanon
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