Across the country, dads and their kids are celebrating Father’s Day 2020 on Sunday, June 20. Whether you’re celebrating in person or from afar this year, a card or note from the heart is a great way to show him you care and appreciate all he does.
If you’re struggling to figure out what to write to dad, here are some great poems and quotes especially for fathers:
Poems About Having & Being a Father
There are a number of beautiful poems that were written to put into words what it means to be (and have!) a father. “Only a Dad” by Edgar Albert Guest is a great one to make sure dad knows you see all he’s done for you and your family:
Only a dad, but he gives his all
To smooth the way for his children small,
Doing, with courage stern and grim,
The deeds that his father did for him.
This is the line that for him I pen,
Only a dad, but the best of men.
If you have young children, “My Daddy” by Charleigh Graham is the perfect poem to write on a handmade card that they can decorate themselves. Any dad would be proud to hang this poem up on the fridge as a gift from his kids.
My Daddy is a mountain
My Daddy is a sea
My Daddy smiles again and again
I love my Daddy and I know he loves me
’Cause my Daddy is a ray of light that warms a winters’ eve
My daddy is very special to me
I could not live without my daddy as he could not live without me.
“Dad” Karen K. Boyer is another great rhyming poem that speaks to the selflessness of fatherhood and a dad’s role within his family:
He never looks for praises
He’s never one to boast
He just goes on quietly working
For those he loves the most
His dreams are seldom spoken
His wants are very few
And most of the time his worries
Will go unspoken too
He’s there… A firm foundation
Through all the storms of life
A sturdy hand to hold
In times of stress and strife
A true friend we can turn to
When times are good or bad
One of our greatest blessings
The man that we call dad.
Quotes for Dad on Father’s Day
A number of notable figures have beautifully commented on what their fathers mean to them. If you’re having trouble putting your feelings into your own words, here are some quotes that you can borrow:
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person: He believed in me.” – Jim Valvano
“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it.” – Clarence Budington Kelland
“A father carries pictures where his money used to be.” – Steve Martin
“To her, the name of father was another name for love.” – Fanny Fern
“Daddies don’t just love their children every now and then, it’s a love without end.” – George Strait
“There’s no shame in fear, my father told me, what matters is how we face it.” – A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin
“She did not stand alone, but what stood behind her, the most potent moral force in her life, was the love of her father.” – Harper Lee
READ NEXT: Hal Marx: Mississippi Mayor Under Fire Over George Floyd Comments