Father’s Day reminds me of the influences in my life of some key men in my life. I pause today to reflect on one of them…my dad!

The older I get the more I realize the impact my dad has had on my life. Top among the list of influences from my dad is a love of learning (we both are a bit obsessed with it). When I was younger, dad would go to the book store at the beginning of the summer, and he would get recommendations from someone there on books I might like and buy me a pile of books to read. Like him, I devour books and learning any new knowledge. After I read all of these, I have distinct memories of standing in front of his bookshelves upstairs in our house asking him for recommendations from his shelf. Dad would pause for a moment then pull a book off the shelf and place it in my hands always giving some background on it.

To this day, both of us are still readers and learners. Over the years I have watched Dad teach himself how to play the clarinet, how to build all sorts of things out of wood (decks, sheds, benches, birdhouses, etc.), and how to build his business. His first step in learning anything new is reading about it. Today, if I went into mom and dad’s living room, dad would have a stack of books next to his chair. If you came into my living room (or bedroom or office), you would find a stack of books that I am in the middle of also. Dad fostered my love of learning and reading! A powerful tool that I have used my entire life. I continue to build on this gift that my dad gave me, and it is one of the many things that I want to pass to my kids.

On days like Father’s Day I cannot help but stop and thank God for the gift of relationships and the impact they have had on my life. To my dad, to Chris, and to all the men of influence in my life (my brothers, grandfathers, uncles, friends, and mentors), Happy Father’s Day!

Who in your life was a great influence?
What lesson that your person of influence taught you are you still building on today?
How has God used that person to share God’s love with you?

Becky Eldredge

Becky is an Ignatian-trained spiritual director, retreat facilitator, and writer. She is the author of the Busy Lives and Restless Souls (March 2017, Loyola Press) and The Inner Chapel (April 2020, Loyola Press). She helps others create space to connect faith and everyday life through facilitating retreats and days of reflection, through writing, and through spiritual direction. With nearly twenty years of ministry experience within the Catholic Church, Becky seeks to help others discover God at work in the every day moments of people’s lives by utilizing St. Ignatius’ Spiritual Exercises and the many gifts that our Catholic faith and Ignatian Spirituality provide.