Happy Father’s Day!

Jun 13, 2013 by Jim and Jerolyn Bogear

This coming Sunday is Father’s Day. A day to honor our dads, and we should.  Dads, we salute and applaud you. Personally, Jerolyn and I are both grateful for our dads, and the way they have lived their lives in front of us. Thanks Dads.

Dads, I would like to challenge you on what kind of father you are and in what ways are you influencing your children? In what ways are you teaching, sharing, showing, and modeling for your children how to live life and live it with significance? What legacy are you living that you will someday leave?

Mark Weber was a highly decorated soldier. In June 2010 the young lieutenant colonel was tapped to serve as military advisor with the Afghan parliament. But in a few short weeks the 38-year-old father of three was diagnosed with stage IV intestinal cancer. Spirit Magazine did an excerpt of the letters he wrote to his three sons about life —  what he wanted to make sure they knew from him and remembered about him. (It has become a self-published book titled, Tell My Sons.)

In the article there are excerpts from these letters that do a wonderful job of talking about the realties of life, pain and suffering, loss, and the battle to keep on fighting. Mark Weber does a very good job of passing on lessons of life he learned from his father about determination and attitude, and lessons his boys have taught him of love and appreciation. He also reminds his boys the value of becoming the person you are designed to become, individual, unique, and wonderful. There are many lessons that Mark shares with his boys of their time together. He knows he only has a certain amount of time to spend with them and share with them. He is making sure to make the most of this time to invest in and write down those lessons for his boys to remember when he is gone.

Most of us do not have a time frame of knowing that our days are limited. Although they are, we simply don’t know. But the urgency of the author to get these life lessons recorded should remind us that we too have a limited time. We too should focus on what we want to live out and communicate to others we have influence over and impact on. Dads, we have a responsibility to live out our lives and communicate these values to our children. We owe it to them. We want to live those lives of significance and pass on those life lessons of values in our lives to help our children live life well…significantly.

The author was leaving a legacy to his sons.

• What do you and I want to be remembered for when we are gone?
• What do we want to make sure we tell our spouse, children, or other loved ones in our lives?
• How are we now living our lives with purpose and significance?
• What lessons are we modeling to live a life with values and meaning?
• What do you need to start making sure these values are communicated to your children?
• What letters of lessons do you need to write, both on their hearts and minds, by living them out, as well as, writing them down for them to remember?

Legacy…what will yours be?

Mark Weber decided to determine what his would be and wrote much of it down for his boys to remember, apply, and pass on to others.  He left a legacy of significance. You and I have to live a legacy long before we ever hope to leave a legacy.

Happy Father’s Day!

~Jim

Spirit Magazine, May 2013