Whether your kids are human or furry, enjoy your special day!

Father’s Day can be bittersweet for those of us whose fathers are no longer with us. My dad passed away 15 years ago, but I still get a little sad each year when Father’s Day cards start popping up in stores.

One thing that was always a “problem” with Father’s Day once I moved to the US was that the holiday is celebrated on a different day in Germany. Germany’s “Vatertag” coincides with Ascension Day (Himmelfahrt), which is a national holiday, and it’s usually two or three weeks ahead of when we celebrate Father’s Day in the US. There were a few years when I simply forgot about this difference, and I always felt horrible when I realized I’d forgotten to call my dad on Vatertag. Thankfully, he never had a problem with getting to celebrate later than the rest of German fathers – if anything, I think maybe it made him feel a little special.

Dad and me, during our last visit together

If you still have your father, tell him that you love him today. If you are a father, enjoy your special day! And if your dad is no longer with you, I hope your day is filled with precious memories of your time together.

The Conscious Cat is an award winning website published by writer and cat expert Ingrid King, author of Buckley's Story and Purrs of Wisdom. Here at The Conscious Cat, we're passionate about cats. Our mission is to educate cat guardians so that every cat, and every cat's human, can have a happy, healthy life together.

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