Father’s Day is right around the corner, and it’s the perfect time to express how much the dads in your life mean to you. In the busyness of life, their sacrifices often go unacknowledged. Let the dads and father figures in your life know how special they are to you this Father’s Day with a heartfelt letter.
Tips for Writing a Father’s Day Letter
Of course, you can always tell Dad, “Happy Father’s Day!” and even sign a card with a few lines expressing how you feel about him. But we encourage you to take it a step further. Get out pen and paper and write a letter.
Husbands, dads, stepdads, adoptive dads, birth dads, foster dads, granddads, uncles, brothers, and father figures could all appreciate a handwritten letter from the one who brings them so much joy. There’s nothing quite like the magic of a letter. It takes time and patience (and maybe a hand cramp or two) to write down all that you feel on a piece of paper. It’s a great way to express your love, appreciation, and admiration for the father in your life.
What you say in your letter is entirely up to you. You can plan what you want to say ahead of time, or you can just put pen to paper and see what comes out. Sometimes the best notes are spontaneous. You may not know what’s truly in your heart until you start writing.
Here are some ideas of things you can say in your Dear Dad letter:
Thank Him
Thank him for all that he’s done for you or your kids. Let him know how much you appreciate him making pancakes on Saturday mornings or taking the kids to their after-school activities a few days a week to give you a break.
Share Memories
Share your favorite memories with him. Maybe it was that time he taught you how to play golf. Or perhaps it was when he held your daughter for the first time.
Crack Jokes
Make some jokes. If he’s a goofy dad, he’ll totally appreciate a good laugh. If you’re writing to your brother, it’s always good to bring him down a peg or two (after all, he probably hasn’t always been the greatest example, like that time he encouraged you to use him as a human sled on the stairs when you were kids).
Reminisce About His Best Advice
Tell him how his advice has helped you navigate life. Did something he said when you were a teen stick with you to adulthood? Let him know.
Relive His Best Lessons
Let him know what lessons he taught you without realizing it. Did his dedication to a sport teach you about hard work? Did his love for your mom teach you about commitment?
Share Your Favorite Qualities
Share the qualities that he possesses that are your favorite. It could be the smile that he gets when talking about football. Perhaps, it’s his kindness to strangers. Or it could be the way he listens with all his focus to your kids’ stories.
Encourage Him
Give him encouragement. Is there something with which he’s been struggling, maybe as a dad or in his work life? Let him know you’re there cheering for him.
Express Your Pride
Express how proud of him you are. Recognize some of his most significant accomplishments, whether as a dad, at work, in his hobby, or in sports. Whether his accomplishments were years ago or within the last few days, he’ll appreciate knowing someone else remembers the great things he did.
Wish Him Well
End the letter by wishing him a great day or letting him know you’re thinking of him.
Promise a Future Activity
If you see him on Father’s Day (or anytime afterward), you can suggest a few things you can do together. You can tell him you’ll do his favorite workout with him. Or you can plan to cook a meal together, play a game of corn hole in the backyard, have a family game night, go for a wine or beer tasting, or even practice yoga together.
Celebrating Dad
Make the dad in your life feel special this Father’s Day with a handwritten letter that celebrates him as a strong, caring man. You never know how much your words could brighten his day or week. Happy Father’s Day, Health Yoga Life community!