Canada Day - 150 Reasons to Dream!

A man is only as rich as his dreams,

Only as happy as those dreams fulfilled,

In the giving of self

To a world that is waiting;

Its children, its helpless, its aged and hurting,

For the hope that only his dreams can build.

A country is only as rich as its dreams,

Only as wealthy

As the hope that it feeds

To its children, its homeless, its helpless,

Its peoples;

Dear Canada, thank you for planting these seeds.

That this world  will be made up of countries with dreams,

Fed richly with freedom till each dream comes true,

For our children, our aged, our homeless, our helpless,

A world filled with hope,

That is my dream for you.

Who Is My Father?

We expect our dads to be towers of strength, guides and mentors,  but what we really want most from them is a huge heart-felt Dad-hug on a regular basis - for them to tell us they love us.   We need them to accept and love us when we succeed and also when we fail.  We want them to join us in our laughter and play, and to put an arm around us  when we cry bitter tears,  understanding that they are both a part of who we are, necessary for our growth.   On the flip-side, our fathers need those same gifts given back to them as they struggle and succeed, or falter, in their attempts to raise their family.

Who Is My Father?

A hand strong and calloused,

That held onto mine,

A face, rough and wrinkled

With love in each line;

Eyes glinting laughter -

The laugh of a boy,

Who still could find wonder

In small bits of joy.

This life's complicated,

And at times, it's unfair,

And he shed humble tears

When he tripped on despair;

But what joy he created

When he strummed out a song!

He sang out his problems,

And coaxed us along.

With a mind that loved learning,

He  tried hard to guide,

As he  watched my young footsteps

And Followed  with pride.

A heart seeking God,

He laid his soul bare

As he prayed for his family -

A father's tough prayer.

Who is my father?

He's all of these things,

Kept close in my memory;

He still makes my heart sing!