It’s hard to celebrate Father’s Day to its fullest when the wonderful man who helped raise me died unexpectedly six years ago. My very healthy grandfather who was happily retired and woke up early every morning to run errands died at the end of March in 2000.

Father’s Day is not the same without him.

Neither of my children were able to meet him so that’s why both of them were named after him. My first child took the feminine version of his middle name and my son’s middle name is/was my grandfather’s last name.

My grandfather bought me a pair of pink construction boots when I was little and he showed me how to properly cut tiles for the kitchen. He was there every year when my elementary school had the annual special day for fathers to spend time with their kids at the school and even explained to me what was happening when he watched his favorite baseball or cricket team on TV. He shared candy with me in the kitchen when my grandmother wasn’t looking and when he had the blueprints drawn up for his dream home, he included a room for me in it.

Father’s Day just isn’t the same.

Natalie and Luke spent Father’s Day 2006 with their dad and hopefully they will have many, many more Father’s Day celebrations in the park with him. And I really want Natalie to have the option of having her father walk her down the aisle at her wedding ceremony — something I wasn’t able to have.

Happy Father’s Day everyone.