For Father's Day, 13 Fathers Weigh in on Being a Dad

For over a century, Father's Day has been recognized in the United States as a day on which to honor fathers and paternal bonds for the important influence that these men have on their children and others with whom they may have a special relationship. The holiday was first set for March 19 in Europe and was originally only celebrated within the Catholic faith as far back as the Middle Ages. Now, it is slated for the third Sunday of June in the U.S. – a date that wasn't formally declared until 1972.

To get some unique perspectives on what fatherhood is all about, check out these 13 inspiring quotes:



1. "I am so very proud to be the father of my children, Mia and Daniel, and to celebrate them each Father's Day. Mia, who is now a college graduate after four years of hard work and Daniel, a rising sophomore at Duquesne University, are the reason Father's Day is special to me. I celebrate Mia's vibrancy and sense of self and humor, and I rejoice in Daniel's focus and intelligence. I also appreciate that they are not perfect as I am not perfect. I enjoy my daughter's verbosity and my son's self-critical nature. They are complete people and perfect to me . . . yin and yang. I also love them by loving my wife, Alicia, as their mother, mentor, manager, and my partner in life. Happy Father's Day to all." – Dr. Jeffrey Senese, president of Saint Leo University

2. "The father who would taste the essence of his fatherhood must turn back from the plane of his experience, take with him the fruits of his journey and begin again beside his child, marching step by step over the same old road." – Angelo Patri, an author and educator

3. "Being a great father is like shaving. No matter how good you shaved today, you have to do it again tomorrow." – Reed Markham, an educator and author

4. "A good father is one of the most unsung, unpraised, unnoticed, and yet one of the most valuable assets in our society." – Billy Graham, a longtime evangelist

5. "Fathers, like mothers, are not born. Men grow into fathers and fathering is a very important stage in their development." – David Gottesman, a successful billionaire businessman

6. "Until you have a son of your own... you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son. You will never know the sense of honor that makes a man want to be more than he is and to pass something good and hopeful into the hands of his son. And you will never know the heartbreak of the fathers who are haunted by the personal demons that keep them from being the men they want their sons to be." – Kent Nerburn, an author

7. "I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it." – Harry S. Truman, the 33rd U.S. president

8. "I am proud to be the father of three! Every day, they give me a reason to be the best dad that I can be and strive to provide them with the best life possible. Watching them grow and learn every day provides me enough happiness to last a lifetime. They make being their dad the best thing that has ever happened to me." – Peter Gressick, associate director of lead acquisition at Saint Leo University

9. "I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection."

– Sigmund Freud, an author and neurologist

10. "Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad." – Wade Boggs, a Hall of Fame baseball player

11. "Before I got married I had six theories about raising children; now, I have six children and no theories." — John Wilmot, a poet and satirist

12. "When a father gives to his son, both laugh; when a son gives to his father, both cry." —William Shakespeare, an author

13. "The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother." —Theodore Hesburgh, an educator, author, and evangelist