When Father’s Day Hurts

Our Father’s Love
Krista Dunk

Even though holidays and celebrations are meant for joy, sometimes they bring sadness and grief. Father’s Day can be one of those days when upsetting feelings arise for some of us.

While others are celebrating and spending time with families, you or someone you know could possibly be filled with emptiness, pain, or even anger.

Reasons for Sadness or Grief on Father’s Day

• You’ve Recently Lost your Dad
• You don’t Feel your Dad Deserves Celebrating
• You’re a Single Mother and the Father of your Children is Absent in their Lives
• You’re a Father who has Lost a Child
• Some Other Loss Occurred during this Time of Year

Each of these situations is painful. Each of these situations can cast a shadow on what should be a happy time. Whether it’s you who feels sorrowful or someone else that you know who silently hurts on Father’s Day, how can joy be found?

Finding Joy on Father’s Day

 “I have loved you with an everlasting love…”  –Jeremiah 31:3a

Focusing on what’s missing or lacking is our tendency. What if, instead, we focus on a vital, loving relationship that’s in our lives; one that can never be taken away? God, our Father, specializes in filling in the gaps in our hearts. He wants to be the Rock we establish our lives on so that no earthly disappointment or void can steal our joy.

To truly know the love of our Heavenly Father is greater than any earthly affection, and helps us overcome wrongs and loss we’ve experienced. He will never leave you or forsake you, and is with you always. In fact, He knows each tear you’ve shed, has all the days of your life written in His book and knows the number of hairs on your head. He sees you now, and has cared for you since before you were born. Although He’s invisible to the physical eye, He is more real than anything seen.

Accept the love of your Heavenly Father this Father’s Day. You can take part in the joy of the day by celebrating Him and the love He so freely gives you.

 Remember these Words from Romans

And, I am convinced nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow, not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below-indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

More Articles and Prayers if You are Having a Tough Day

1.  A Prayer for Father’s Day by retired Episcopalian Priest Harry Allagree
Short Excerpts: For those whose fathers have increased the joy in their lives…
For those whose fathers have recently been lost or who are facing the imminent loss…
We pray, too, for those men who, for whatever reason, have not been good fathers…
We remember to you single fathers and single mothers who struggle to be both parents…

2.  Fathers Remembered If you’ve recently lost your father, send a photograph to Legacy and they will post it on their Facebook page and in their photoalbum of Dads and Grandfathers remembered.

3. You can create a Legacy to Remember by making a Memorial website with a photo album of your dad, grandfather or son who has passed. Invite your family and friends to it, as well, so all can help by adding memories and photos.

4. Grief and Father’s Day Lessons is an interview with Glynis Sherwood, counselor, for Metro News Father’s Day issue by journalist Kelly Putter. The last part of the article has wonderful inspirational ideas for making a tough time easier.

5. Elisabeth Kübler-Ross wrote the Five Stages of Grief. The official website shares many resources for sources of grief and how best to process them. There are many take-offs on her work, what better way than to go to the original.

6. 14 Bible Verses regarding bad parents for comfort and remembering Our Loving Father.

7. Grief and Loss Support: Don’t know what to write for a condolence note? Wife dealing with the loss of her husband? Child dealing with the loss of a  father? Support groups, resources and words of advice for all kinds of loss.

8. Honoring Parents who don’t Seem to Deserve Honor by Rabbi Simon Jacobsen, a transcript of his radio show.

Resources: If you’d like to see more of CocoMariposa’s work and the mixed media collection, Five Stages of Grief,  visit her Flickr page. The series is amazing. She said, ‘ This Piece [Five Stages of Grief #4] is very busy, the confusion represents me, how I was feeling when I was very depressed. All the Bubbles are the many various thoughts I had every day, dealing with four deaths; in particular the death of my father. On the right side is a stomach, holding an unborn thought of peace. This thought of peace can’t be born, because of negative thoughts of my father dying. Although this piece may not be as strong as others I’ve done, it was the hardest ‘peace’ for me to do. This is why I haven’t had any pieces up in a while. This piece is all about facing ones demons, and not letting go of one’s hopes for true inner peace and happiness.”  CocoMariposa, artist.

If you’d like to know more about columnist, radio host and business woman, Krista Dunk, you can visit her website here or here. And, Biography here.

Tagged A Prayer for Father's Day, Bible Verses regarding bad parents, CocoMariposa's work, Elisabeth Kübler-Ross, Episcopalian Priest Harry Allagree, Father's Day, Fathers Remembered, Finding joy on Father's Day, God's love, Grief and Father's Day Lessons, Grief and Loss Support, Grief on Father's Day, Honoring Parents who don't Seem to Deserve Honor, Jeremiah 31:3, Krista Dunk, Legacy to Remember, Memorial website, Rabbi Simon Jacobsen, relationships, Romans 8:38