Happy Father's Day

Today is the day we celebrate the men in our lives who have been fathers or father figures to us or our children.  I am celebrating this day with my husband or at least we will later when he is up.  I will of course call my father and grandfather to wish them a wonderful day. 

Father's Day is both happy and sad in our family.  On this day I am reminded of my oldest daughter's father who passed away when she was still very little.  It has been 8 years now and it still makes me cry to know that he is not here to watch her grown and change.  He was a wonderful father and  not only loved our daughter but also loved my )our) son.  He came into my life with 4 children of his own and I came in with one.  It was a very complicated situation for most people but not for us.  We found a way to make it work and all 6* of our children loved our large and unusual family.  My late husband made a point to never make my son feel like he was less then.  My oldest son was only 3 when I got married but since that day he was always Louis's son and no one could deny that.  He still claims him as his first Father to this day.  He loved all of our children and it was a sad day when we lost him.  But we can look back on all the wonderful times that we had together as a family and how amazing he was as a father. 

My son and daughter are both very lucky to have had a wonderful father and to also be blessed with another man who was willing to walk into my life and take on the role of father to two that were not his own.  My current husband is younger than I and had no previous children, but came in with his eyes and heart open.  It has not been an easy road but he has stuck with it and it has paid off.  We now have a total of 6* children and 4 are ours but no one could tell that he has not been here the entire time. 

It is not easy to parent someone else's children and any man who is willing to step in and try to be not just a parent but a true father to your child is a special person.  In my life I have been lucky enough to truly fall in love 2 times and both times those men have chosen to be part of my children's life. 

So on a day like today, I celebrate the men in my family who have made my life so wonderful by being amazing fathers.  To all the fathers past, present, and future.

Note:  If you were keeping count, yes that is a total of 10 children that I have had a hand in raising over the last 16 years they don't all live with me, but they all still call me Mom. (4 step and 6 biological)