In Honor of Fathers

This is my dad at one of our family reunions in Canton, Ohio, probably 1993. He turned 92 on June 17. 

Typically on Mother’s day, we get fancy and take mom to a nice brunch. On Father’s Day it’s usually hot, in the middle of June, so the celebration moves outdoors; boating, fishing, the beach, cookouts, casual, as most dads don’t do fancy, but they deserve a special moment.

I won't get to spend time with my dad for his birthday or Father's Day this year. He lives in a beautiful assisted living/retirement-resort type place, but since the pandemic, we haven't been able to see each other beyond his screened-in porch for several months. All with good reason, but it's not easy. My dad and I have always had a very close relationship. And he and my mom were always within close proximity. They spent a lot of time with my kids as they grew, and it was special to have "Yiayia" (Greek for Grandmother) and "Papou" (Greek for Grandfather) around for all of the important moments in their lives. So this year, in honor of his 92nd birthday and Father's Day, I sent some fun decorations from Amazon, and the staff put them up as a surprise. We delivered some treats and visited him through his screened-in porch. As soon as we can be in the same room together, we will have a belated celebration! And my dad loves a good burger, so I will treat him to one!

Since most dads prefer something un-fussy, we can make the usual burgers extra special. With a few small tweaks, burgers are totally Whole30 compliant, although we can let Dad have a Food Freedom day if he so chooses!

xoxo

-t