I Never Understood How Important Father's Day Is Until I Lost My Own Dad

This year will be the second Father's Day since my dad passed away — and it sucks.

Losing a parent is exceptionally hard, and it becomes even harder during the times of year when holidays like this roll around and remind you of your loss.

Being around my friends and co-workers as they share the details of the special plans they to spend the day doing something fun or even boring with their fathers, all I can think of is that I won't be with mine. And knowing I've lost that opportunity forever kills me inside.

Although my father and I didn't have the closest relationship, I always called him on Father's Day to tell him how much I loved him.

Now I would give anything to make one more phone call to him. One more call to hear his voice and to tell him how much he means to me. How much I miss him and how much it hurts to know all that he's missing out on sharing in my life. 

I never knew how important Father's Day was until I lost my own dad.

So if you still have your father, please wish him a Happy Father's Day.

Please tell him how grateful you are to have him in your life, and for all that he's done to make it better along the way.

And most importantly, please tell him you love him.

Life is too short to hold onto to hard feelings. No matter what rocky times you may have been through together, please don't take him for granted.

And for those of you reading this who have lost your own dad, like me, I know how tough this is to do, but please don't dwell on the day.

Keep yourself distracted with things that make you happy, and try to see it as an opportunity to show appreciation for the father figures in your life.

We'll get through this. We always do. We have to.

To my own Dad — I love you. I miss you. And Happy Father's Day.