When Father’s Day comes each year in June, I take time to recall all the lessons my father, Bernard, taught me. He had a short life, passing away at the age of 58 on the Jersey shore, and I was with him during his final hours. That was the closest I came to sharing all the unique gifts he had given me and making promises to him on how I would raise my own son.

When I think about him, I hear his baritone voice and how he sang Hebrew melodies at our temple on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. He rooted his values and beliefs by his responsible work ethic, taking over his father’s and another’s store when they both died of heart attacks. He had to leave Temple University to pay back financial debts in the 1930s.

His sense of humor and leadership inspired me and gave me confidence when I doubted my own ability to do some academic challenge, like algebra. His presence in my life kept me going over hurdles that sometimes seemed overwhelming. Yet he stood by me.

I am blessed with good memories and know how much he changed my life by giving me both wings to fly and roots to hold onto as I moved through teenage years and college.

So, to all those great fathers out there, know that you are a huge difference in your child’s life.

NAN TOBY TYRRELL

Port Townsend