With Father’s Day almost here, how exactly do you say “Thank you, for everything,” to the man who helped make you the person you are today? For some, the words don’t quite come until it’s too late, but others have found some beautiful ways to express their appreciation in small notes, deeds, and even advertisements. Bekow are six of the most amazing tributes to dad that we’ve come across in recent years.
You can also pay tribute to your father by joining our project with the Huffington Post, where we’re asking “What’s the best advice your dad has given you?”
Pow! Right in the feels
When funnyman Craig Ferguson’s paps pased away in 2006, the then-late-night host used his 15-minute monologue to eulogize his father in front of several million people. Tracing his old man’s roots from a “Dickensian workhouse” to becoming a respected postal manager, Ferguson peppered the life lessons with incredible and hilarious color. Funny as we might expect from one of television’s greatest comedians, this one makes the list for the powerfully honest moment when Ferguson chokes up over a moment so mundane – his father patting his head – that it reminds us just how important the little things are. Check out part 2 of the eulogy here, and this essay Ferguson wrote for Men’s Health about his father’s death and the televised eulogy.
Big Russ and Little Tim
When asked about working two full-time jobs he didn’t care for, the father of late broadcast legend Tim Russert said, “Some guys couldn’t find one.” Six months in the hospital after a plane crash? “Tougher for the guys who died.” Tim wrote up his dad’s stories in Big Russ & Me: Father and Son Lessons of Life. The paean to his own father sparked a resounding appreciation among Baby Boomers for their “nose-to-the-grindstone” Depression-era parents and the sacrifices they made. Check out this 2004 father-son interview on the Today Show.
Dad envy
New York Times columnist Frank Bruni paid tribute to his father for his 80th birthday in 2015. The real gift wasn’t the trip to Atlantic City, it was with a few hundred words in The Gray Lady where he spilled the beans on the secrets he’d like to steal from his father. What sets this father apart is the way he courageously handled life after his beloved wife died, and how his son admired him. Bruni writes, “It’s the phase of his life since my mother that I find most compelling, because it’s a tribute to what people are capable of on the inside, not the outside.” They say imitation is sincerest form of flattery, but this story shows us that envy is pretty good too.
He’ll find out one day
Science fiction writer Tad Williams can be listed in two best of lists: among the best tributes to fathers, and among the best book dedications ever written. All four volumes of his iconic Otherland series are dedicated to his father, unbeknownst to the honoree. Here they are, in order:
“This Book is dedicated to my father Joseph Hill Evans with love. Actually Dad doesn’t read fiction, so if someone doesn’t tell him about this, he’ll never know.”
“This Book is dedicated to my father Joseph Hill Evans with love. As I said before, Dad doesn’t read fiction. He still hasn’t noticed that this thing is dedicated to him. This is Volume Two – let’s see how many more until he catches on.”
“This is still dedicated to you-know-who, even if he doesn’t. Maybe we can keep this a secret all the way to the final volume.”
“My father still hasn’t actually cracked any of the books – so, no, he still hasn’t noticed. I think I’m just going to have to tell him. Maybe I should break it to him gently.
“Everyone here who hasn’t had a book dedicated to them, take three steps forward. Whoops, Dad, hang on there for a second…”
The big leagues of parenting
Nothing is more meaningful than watching children or teens discuss what they love about their dads. “He kisses us before he goes to work,” and “It was really fun going fishing with you, Dad,” were a few comments that the children made.
What makes this recent Courtyards Hotel ad extra special is that these are children of NFL players – including Drew Brees, Ryan Kalil and Antonio Brown. The children are unaware that their dads are listening to every word, and after the interview ends, the dads come out to surprise their kids.
Ryan Kalil pointed out why being a father was the best job he could have, saying, “I think being a father helps you prioritize what’s important, and your kids have a funny way of making sure you know what the important things are.”
The Crocodile Hunter’s daughter in Dancing with the Stars
Steve Irwin, better known to the world as the “The Crocodile Hunter”, passed away in 2006. He not only left fans on a global scale, but more importantly he left a wife and two children. Bindi Irwin has now grown into a lovely young woman and recently starred on “Dancing with the Stars”.
As a child she was very strong while speaking at her father’s memorial service, but years later Bindi opens up on the DWTS tv show, saying “what shaped me the most would probably be when my Dad passed away.” She chose to honor her father with a beautiful dance to the song “Every Breath You Take”, and at the end we find her in tears as the music fades.
Create your own tribute
What’s the best advice YOUR dad ever gave to you? LifePosts has recently teamed up with The Huffington Post to showcase the special lessons dads have taught us. Take a look and submit your own!
Here are a few great examples:
Honoring Lloyd C. Williams – Submitted by Cecily Williams
“Remember. Just beyond the clouds, the sun is always shining:)”
Honoring Greg Handy – Submitted by Erica Gibbons
“‘Wherever you go, go with all your heart,’ though he did not originally pen those words, he instilled that truth in me. Though he has not agreed with all of my decisions throughout the years, he has stood by my and encouraged me to be all there whatever my choice has been. Being fully present is a rare thing these days, in the realities of technologies and connectivity. But it is an important factor in truly connecting with your life and those around you. I appreciate that lesson and am happy to share it with you all.”