Guide · Words
What to write in a Father's Day card, without calling him a hero.
He'll say "oh, come on" and keep it in his wallet. That's why it's worth writing something only you could have written: a scene, a line of his, something you only understood once you grew up.
A scene, not a compliment
"Hero", "role model", "my rock": he's read those. What he hasn't read is "the night you drove me to the hospital singing so I wouldn't be scared" or "the sound of the keys at half past six". Remember a scene. The card is the scene plus one line.
Three sentences are enough
The scene. What you learned from him without him saying it. A thank-you that names the thing. "You came home from work and still checked my homework. I learned that tiredness is not an excuse. Thank you for every night you didn't use as one."
For a father
"I remember you pretending not to be worried on exam day. I make the same face for my son now. Thank you for teaching me the face." A childhood scene seen as an adult is the card he'll read twice.
For a stepfather, a grandfather, a godfather
Name the place he holds, without comparing: "You didn't have to come to the games. You came to all of them." For a grandfather: "Nobody tells the same story that well the tenth time. Thank you for all ten."
For a father-in-law, or the father of your child
"Thank you for raising someone I chose." For the father of your children: "I saw you building the bike at eleven last night so it would be there when he woke up. He won't remember. I will."
When he's a man of few words
Fathers like that receive the concrete best: one scene and a short line, no adjectives. If you're the same, answer in writing: who he is in your life, what you learned from him, one moment you never forget. That's already the card. If you want it to become something bigger, Amevoli turns those answers and three to six photos into a painted portrait, a short film and a poster with his name and your line; free to see, and the complete tribute costs $7.99, once.
What to avoid
A joke to hide behind (one line, at most). Lines from the internet. A long card. And don't leave it for the moment you hand it over: the scene needs ten minutes of quiet to show up.
Questions
- Is a short Father's Day card okay?
- Yes, and for a father it's usually best. One scene and a thank-you that names the thing.
- What do I write to a father who has died?
- Write it anyway, for yourself. A scene and what he taught you. Many people turn that into a tribute with his photos.
- Can I write it on behalf of all the children?
- Yes. Each one contributes a scene; the last line comes out signed by all.
A tribute to him, in five minutes.