To celebrate the fathers and father figures in our lives, we reached out to our crew of Wanderlust writers and asked them to pen thank-you letters to their dads. Here's what they had to say.
Dear Dad,
You vowed that you would do it differently than your father—and you did. You were the first person in your family to graduate from high school. And college. With careful savings from your school teaching job, you swept us away to a small, suburban town—to a world of safety, order, and security.
How hard it must have been to see your one child grow wild with wanderlust.
A child who dreamed of skyscrapers and safaris and everything beyond our townhouse fences. A child who skipped, fell, danced, stumbled. Grew up. Discovered yoga. And then questioned every rule of an orderly world.
But it was yoga that saved me when you checked yourself into the hospital. The day before I was to take my test to be a yoga teacher, they cracked your heart wide open. And that became my true test—that was what you prepared me for all along.
I guided mom through gentle breathing exercises while we sat in the waiting room.
I swaddled her in yoga blankets at night and placed her in restorative poses to help her sleep. I read the Bhagavad Gita. Not the scripture you would’ve chosen for me, but I studied persistently, as your schoolteacher ways taught me.
You survived your open-heart surgery, and your heart, did in fact, open even more. For what felt like the first time, you accepted me in all my fire and defiance. A gate was unlatched. You did it differently. Just like you vowed you always would.
– Julie Balter
Dear Daddy,
You are appreciated.
I recently realized the true depth and breadth of your presence. You may not have been as vocal as Mummy, and you may never have been the parent who escorted us around from activity to activity, or even the first parent we called in times of despair—all of that has always been her job. But, I've realized that your spirit, your influence, your character, and your quiet, yet strong presence are invaluable to me.
In our mother's flurry, you remain calm, together, firm and gentle. And, while I tend to naturally lean more towards my mother's worrisome nature, I have the privilege of even a drop of your cool mystique woven into my being.
You've taught me to be fair, humble, kind, independent; to be a rebel, a hippie, and to be open. In you I see the gift of inherit, impeccable intelligence and the richness born from a devotion to order. I strive to replicate your seemingly effortless dedication to self-love and personal care. You've been far from perfect, but I've watched you grow and become a better version of yourself, which not only makes me proud, but has given me deep knowing about the gifts life brings with time and maturity.
You are the stick from which I measure the greatness of a man, and the example for which I have chosen my husband. I am also grateful for your love and devotion to my mother—as my greatest teacher of giving and receiving.
You are loved.
Happy Father's Day, Daddy.
– Kinisha Correia
Dear Dad,
I know you to be warm-hearted and caring, loving and nurturing. I know you to be soft and thoughtful. I know you to be a philosopher of sorts, a writer, an intellectual, a critic and a thinker of deep thoughts. I know you to be a speaker, a lighter of rooms and a challenger of nonsense. I know you to be mysterious, foreign, and a holder of sacred thoughts. I know you to be all of these things and more, even if no one else can see it.
With as much love as the world can contain,
Your Daughter
– Andrea Manitsas
Dad,
I'm preparing myself for the first Father's Day that I will spend without you. Your time on earth came and went before my eyes and I would give anything to give you one more hug.
Your spirit will forever dwell in my heart. I can feel you when the sun touches my skin and when the wind plays with the trees. I feel you all around me when I lay in the grass and when I howl at the full moon. I know you are now a part of everything and I feel your love surround me with every breath I take. I've never been so undeniably connected to someone as I am with you.
You will always be my best friend, my greatest mentor, my motivation and my deepest roots. Your perpetual belief in my limitless potential empowers me every single day. My love for you is endless. I'm eternally grateful for the knowledge you shared with me and the irreplaceable life lessons that I live by.
I give you my word that I will fearlessly chase my wildest dreams. I will let my light always shine bright. I will never give up and I will never back down from what I believe in. I will do the right things for the right reasons and I will treasure my time on this earth. I know you wouldn't have it any other way.
I'm honored to be your daughter. I am forever filled with your light and love for life. I thank my lucky stars every night for you. You are and will always be my greatest gift.
Love Always,
Zuzu
– Zuzu Perkal
Dear Dad:
Remember that time that we got angry? I yelled, you walked, and you said I was just too much. I must have been 16, not one specific date of that year, but we fought—a lot. I was terrible, I was full of it, I had so many feelings you couldn’t even know, but I was too much, I was too much like you: stubborn, unwilling to change, but also strong in my convictions, sure of myself, creative, caring, fiercely loyal, and steadfast.
You and I, we are the same.
Looking at me is like looking at you and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I know it’s hard to see yourself in the body of another. A smaller, girlier, hard-headed, punk that’s going to try and make the same silly decisions you made when you were that age. But I’m glad for it. If it weren’t for you, that piece of you that it took to make me, I wouldn’t be the person I am. So here, now on the cusp of 30, contemplating the terrifying fact that I maybe sooner rather than later I may have children of my own, just thank you. Thank you for being my Dad.
Love,
Your-never-really-too-grown-up-Daughter
– Nicole Gurney
Dad,
For piling us up in the car with no destination in mind. For pointing out the crumbling foundation in the woods and spotting the rusted farm equipment with the weeds grown up and through. For teaching me about subtle beauty and how to recognize change as it occurs. For having the patience to plant a seed, tend to a garden, and harvest it at season's end. Thank you.
– Gale Straub
Dear Dad,
About four years ago today, we were driving through the Arizona desert, hunting down tacos and chasing the Pacific coastline. You brought me to an exciting new coastline, fulfilling my travels dreams and providing me with an unforgettable experience. This memory is thickly embedded within my heart, but it is just one of the many beautiful father-daughter memories that I am thankful for.
Thank you for reading to me when I was too young to speak, for doing my ponytails when mom was out of town, and for coaching my soccer team. Thank you for acting as the judge in my high school plays and for taking me camping. Thank for carrying my on your shoulders, drawing my hopscotches, and telling me that I looked beautiful when I walked down the stairs in my prom dress. Thank you for answering the phone when I needed you the most and for standing back to watch me shine.
Do you remember when you sang the "Da-Da" song and I couldn’t stop laughing??? I still walk through life with that same amount of joy. Thank you for everything, Daddy. I couldn’t do it without you.
Your babygirl,
Amanda
– Amanda Kohr
Dad, Ernie, E-man,
I always took secret pride in sharing your first initial. And you may have never known it but my signature is modeled after yours.
You did know that I was carrying enough angst for the entire family. I regularly let it out on you, as teenage girls are likely to do. I’ve made peace with that and I know in my heart you never held it against me.
When I tell people that you passed away, I can see that they feel sorry for me. But I am not sorry for me, because I got to have you as my dad. And it was all perfect. Even when we yelled and screamed at each other and I told you that I hated you, because you taught me how to make up and say you’re sorry and to be humble enough to let someone yell and scream at you without holding it against them.
You gave me my bravery. My strength. My loud mouth and my morality.
When I tell people that you passed away, I tell them that I think some dads can pass away early because they were grand enough to do all of their fathering in 17 years. And I believe it to be so true.
I tell them now how you come to me in dreams, and in stories. I say that I don’t know if I ever felt like I lost my father, because our relationship is still evolving everyday as I get to know you more through other people, and through myself. I am proud that your story is a part of mine and that my story is a part of yours.
Thank you. I love you. Always.
Bessy
– Elizabeth Crisci
To Dido on Dido’s Day
To the greatest Dido in the world
Happy Father’s Day from your not so little girl
Celebrating your dedication as a dad
and the endless reasons for why you’re so rad
Thank you for always being a goof
and waking me up with a song and a poof
Thank you for letting us have our TB tradition
and supporting me in my every ambition
Thank you for driving me around in the red sled
avoiding the bermuda triangle where deer drop dead
Thank you for teaching me all that I know
even if sometimes I still act like a mo’
What are a couple things that we share
A love of tommy boy and a great head of hair
Thanks to you I am always planning my next trip
At least on the inca trail my tent did unzip
Thank you for cheering me on in every game
Yelling ‘jam on jammer’ I doubt anyone knew my name
We yell at the refs when they call a bad play
I am hoping we win our next march madness parlay
Like our half marathon we have achieved a few feats
I think some of our culinary creations could also compete
Like you always say I won’t give up, I won’t ever give up
Even on my dreams of getting a little pug pup
Even though Angel is in heaven looking down
she is smiling at you and Mimo as you roam about town
Thank you for always making her cuddle me
and biting her ear when she was mean snoop to Austie
From camping in Catalina to Argentina for high tea
Thanks for being the best Dido there ever will be
We do what we do and keep doing it until the end
Wherever the world takes us our love will transcend
Love, Jammer
– Cameron Cler
Thank You! Your profile was successfully updated.
Continue
Leave us a message!
Please send us a note and our team will get back to you shortly.US & CanadaEuropeLatin AmericaAsiaAustralia & NZ
AustriaFranceGermanyItalyNetherlandsPortugalSpainSwitzerlandUnited Kingdom & Ireland
United StatesCanada
MexicoArgentinaChileColombia
JapanSouth KoreaRussiaChina
AustraliaNew Zealand
Wanderlust EventsWanderlust TVWanderlust SupplementsOther Wanderlust Topic
Hand-made gift card
Forget store bought cards. Show your creativity and art skills this father’s day. Handmade items are always much appreciated and special because it is the only one in the world. Your dad will be surprised unless you fail terribly at Art. Regardless, he will love it.
Show him your report card
Though this may be nerve wrecking, you can always show your dad your report card to let him know how you are doing in school; Your dad may be overjoyed to know that you are doing well on a tough subject like chemistry. Which parent won’t be glad that their child is doing well in school? Just make sure not to show him a failing grade.
Ask him about his childhood
There is nothing more that screams ‘I care about you’ than expressing an interest in their life. This father’s day, ask your dad to tell you about his childhood over a cup of tea. Maybe even ask him to share with you about his ‘colourful’ school life.
Thank him for his guidance
Your dad has always been there for you ever since you were born. He took care of you and taught you. He was there since the beginning. Thank him for his guidance this father’s day. It is always nice to know that you appreciate all that he did for you since childbirth.
Study with you
Or, you can be a little interesting this Father’s Day. Ask him to join you in a study session. You never know, the two of you may end up debating about which formula is right and which formula is wrong. Or, the two of you may be stumped on the same topic together.
Play a game with him
Drop the television remote and the computer. Go for the old good fashion way of having fun and play a game with your dad this coming Father’s Day. Let him know that he has your full attention. Maybe a game of Scrabble where the two of you try to come out with words out of a chemistry textbook. Or… do this:
Talk with him
Because of his busy schedule and your never-ending homework, the both of you probably do not have the time to have a nice chat with each other. Go out, walk around town and have a nice heart to heart talk with him.
Cook for him
Like the old saying ‘ The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach’. This father’s day, cook something nice for him to show that you love him.
Ask him to teach you
Your dad has a lifetime of experience. The same as you, your father has to go through school as well. Ask him to teach you chemistry this Father’s Day. It shows him how much you respect him.
Thank him
Lastly, thank your dad for all that he has done for you. Letting your dad know how much you appreciate him all these years is the best gift he needs. Thank him for being your father, for being the guiding light in your teenage life.
Whether you’re planning on filling a sweet card with your own words for Father’s Day, or planning on doing something creative with a special quote, I’m sure you’re currently on the hunt for Father's Day quotes that'll make dad (and you) cry. Father’s Day is here after all, so hopefully you’ve got that on your radar. I’ve got your back with some sweet words to say or write so you can ensure the dads in your life still have a wonderful Father’s Day and feel incredibly loved and appreciated.
Are you fortunate enough to remember when your dad could scoop you up with ease, let you fly like Superman, caught you when you fell, kissed your boo-boos, cheered you on when you tackled challenges, and carried you to bed when you were all tuckered out? What about your relationship now that you’re an adult and a parent? Gratefulness abounds, and you can convey that in your card.
Don't forget partners who are fathers on this special day, too. Whether it’s a gift for your partner about how wonderful of a dad they are, or a gift from your kids that you happen to be ghostwriting, you’ll need some beautiful words of appreciation, love, and adoration to share.
I know there’s a lot going on right now with the world, but one of the perfect ways to get yourself into the dad appreciation mindset is to check out some of these touching and heart-warming quotes that will have you reaching for the Kleenex.
Funny Father's Day Messages for Dad
Your dad is the person who can make you laugh even in your darkest moments. He is always waiting and ready with a joke and a smile. Share the funny on Father's Day with one of these light-hearted quotes.
• Happy Father's Day to the guy who is always ready for one of my curveballs. Thanks for always having your mitt ready.
• Happy Father's Day, Dad. Please know that, as usual, I am your gift!
• How can such a good man tell such bad jokes? You are one of the world's greatest mysteries, Dad. Happy Father's Day.
• Today's your day, Dad. Spend it how you want to, after you mow the lawn, clean out the garage, and bbq dinner, of course!
• Today is the one day a year where nobody rolls their eyes at you, dad.
• Dad, we definitely hit the lottery with you. Happy Father's Day!
• Three cheers and have a beer! Happy Father's Day, Pops!
Heartfelt Father's Day Messages for Dad
Dad is your rock. When your knees buckle, he is there to catch you. Tell him how much you love him and need him in your life with these heartfelt Father's Day quotes.
• When I count my blessings, Dad, I count you twice. Happy Father's Day.
• Happy Father's Day to a man whose words are like magic. They simply fix everything.
• Dad, on Father's Day, please know that you are the greatest blessing this family could have ever been given.
• Happy Father's Day to the guy who will always have a corner of my heart.
• Happy Father's Day to my first love, my knight in shining armor, and my prince charming.
• Dad, even though I am grown, I will always need my daddy. Happy Father's Day to my person.
• Happy Father's Day to the wisest man I know. Your words continue to give me guidance and strength over the course of my life.
• The world is a wonderful place because of daddies like you. Happy Father's Day.
• Happy Father's Day to my greatest role model in life. Everything I am is because of you.
• Happy Father's Day to an awe-inspiring man. We are so deeply proud to get to call you dad.
• I feel so fortunate to have been raised by a real superhero. Happy Father's Day!
• There is so much in life that we can not count on...a Dad is not one of those things. Happy Father's Day, Old Faithful.
Father's Day Messages of Appreciation
It can be really difficult to show your dad how thankful you are for him. He has done so much for you throughout the years. Start by thanking him with a message of appreciation on Father's Day.
• There are no words to express how grateful we are to you, Dad, for everything you have given to this family. Happy Father's Day!
• Your dedication and sacrifice are the reasons we have such beautiful lives. Happy Father's Day to the most selfless man we know.
• We could never give back half of what you have given us over the course of your years. Please know that we appreciate you each and every day and especially on this Father's Day.
• Today we recognize you, Dad, for all that you are and all that you do. Happiest of Father's Days.
• On this Father's Day, we want to let you know that you are deeply loved and appreciated, Dad.
• Dad, you deserve the world today. You are the most generous, kind, and thoughtful dad a kid could ever ask for.
• Father's Day is a day where we acknowledge our dads and show our love and appreciation for the fathers who make the world go round.
• Thank you, Dad, for always putting us first, never being short on time or patience, and making us feel loved.
• Happy Father's Day to the guy who wakes up every day thinking about how he can better the lives of his family.
• Happy Father's Day to the hardest working man we know. Who knows where we would be without you!
Inspiring Father's Day Messages For a Work in Progress Relationship
Your relationship with dad hasn't always been perfect, but the two of you have nothing but love for one another. You keep working on your relationship because it is certainly something worth fighting for.
• Even though we are separated by distance, you are always right here in my heart. Happy Father's Day.
• While we don't always agree on things, Dad, our hearts are always in the right place. I love you, and Happy Father's Day.
• Dad, our relationship isn't perfect, but it is ours! Happy Father's Day.
• Dad, on this Father's Day, I want to acknowledge that I haven't always been easy to love, but thank you for never giving up on me.
• Dad, we have battled some stormy seas, but know on this Father's Day, the only boat I ever want to be in is with you.
Touching Father's Day Messages From Spouses and Partners
When it came to giving your kids a father, you really hit the jackpot with your guy. He is everything you could have wished for and more. Express how much you adore your children's father with one of these special quotes.
• I could not have chosen a better father for my kids. You are simply the best. Happy Father's Day!
• Our children are so lucky to get to call you Poppa. Happy Father's Day to the greatest man we know.
• You enrich our kids' lives so deeply, and on this Father's Day, we celebrate all that you are.
• No one works harder than you, honey! The kids and I are so lucky that you chose us. Happy Father's Day!
• You do it all, babe! You provide, encourage, support, and love each one of your kids. What a man! Happy Father's Day.
• No one does "dadding" like you. Happy Father's Day to the man my kids call Daddy.
Father's Day Messages for Your Bonus Dad
He isn't your biological parent, but according to your heart, he is your father all the way. Make sure you acknowledge your step-dad on Father's Day because any man can create humans, but only true fathers can raise great people.
• Growing up, you filled an empty space in my heart. On this Father's Day, I celebrate you for stepping in and making me whole.
• I am so blessed to have a bonus dad in my life. Happy Father's Day to a guy who has added so much beauty to my world.
• Happy Father's Day to a guy who has always loved me like his own.
• When you married my parent, you welcomed me into your heart and your life with open arms. For this, I am ever grateful. Happy Father's Day.
• You have raised us with confidence and grace, and that was not always an easy feat. Happy Father's Day to a man we are lucky enough to get to call Step-Dad.
Celebrate Your Dad Every Day
Dads devote their lives to their kids. They care for them, support them, and are their greatest cheerleaders. While it is certainly important to celebrate dad on Father's Day, it is also important to show dad some love on other days throughout the year. Take the time out of your busy life to send pops a card, shoot him a text or give him a call. He won't be around forever, so enjoy him while he is still here with you.
41+ Touching Father's Day Messages to Bring Love & Laughter