Father’s Day Gift Ideas

I grew up in the church parsonage. The man who was Reverend Graybill to everyone else was just Dad to me.

Being the daughter of a pastor won me several invitations to weddings at an early age. One of my earliest memories of Dad is him standing in the front of the church as a beautiful bride and nervous groom recited their vows. Dressed in all her taffeta ruffles and lace flounces, I thought the bride was a princess. So began my fascination with weddings and all things bridal.

I spent my pre-school years wrapping myself in white sheets and old curtains to make a wedding dress. I fashioned a veil out scraps of tulle confiscated from my mother’s sewing room and fixed it to a tin foil tiara. Some old artificial flowers I found in the attic made up my bouquet. A giant teddy bear stood in as the groom.

I just needed someone to marry us. It wasn’t hard to find him since I ate dinner with Rev. Graybill every evening. After supper, I would go into the living room where my dad was watching The Nightly News with Tom Brokaw.

“Daddy, Daddy! Mr. Bear and I want to get married. Will you marry us?”

I stood there in my silly costume with my teddy bear while my Dad patiently went through an abbreviated version of the vows. He played along, pretending it was a solemn, reverent affair. We repeated this many, many evenings.

My Dad was quiet and serious most of the time. Playing make believe wasn’t really his forte. I interrupted The Nightly News countless times. In those days you couldn’t watch it again in 60 minutes on a 24 hour news channel or hit pause on the DVR. But Dad just played along and never complained.

Father’s Day is right around the corner. It’s time to find a special way to say thank you to your dad, whether he performed a wedding ceremony for you a hundred times, taught you how to throw a baseball in the backyard or helped you figure out your algebra homework. Grandpa Shorter’s has several unique gifts that will help make Dad’s day this year.

Grandpa Shorter’s Father’s Day Gift Guide:

1. Great Lakes Embroidered Ball Cap – Protect Dad’s head from the sun with a hat that shows off our beautiful lakes.

2. Hunting for Big Foot Socks or Bacon Socks – Dads with a sense of humor will love these silly socks.

3. Shed Antler Corkscrew – Dads who love the local wildlife will appreciate this corkscrew made with authentic shed antler.

Guest post written by Colleen Stout a talented west Michigan blogger and mother of two young boys. Visit her blog Mommiedaze for great reviews, tips and more!