Sunday is Father’s Day.  For some of us, that will conjure up images of a tie, for others it reminds us of good times shared with our fathers.  In my job, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many fathers who have found themselves trying to beat difficult odds.  Just the other day, a father came in to my office with his son who is working on an Eagle Scout project.  The young man chose to raise awareness about the need for people to register as organ donors because his father received a heart transplant and he knows firsthand what that can mean to a recipient’s family.

I also know a father who suddenly found himself as the primary caretaker when his wife went into heart failure and learned that she would need a heart transplant.  Another father sat nervously in a hospital waiting room while two of his adult children underwent surgery.  His daughter was donating a kidney to her older brother.  I have also met a couple of fathers, who during the most difficult time in their lives, looked beyond their own grief over the death of a child and allowed their child’s organs to save the lives of others.

My own father would sacrifice anything for his family and my life is better because of his unselfish dedication.  These fathers have taken what life has offered and used it to make life better for their own families and others.  To all the fathers out there, “Happy Father’s Day.”