June Observances: Father’s Day, D-Day, Juneteenth, and More

The month of June brings the midway mark of the year, with long days of sunshine and significant events such as Father’s Day and the historic D-Day. Students enjoy a break from studies while we honor a day of liberation for African Americans with Juneteenth. Join me in reflecting and remembering these events in this new post.

Are you someone who wonders how the year arrived in June so soon? By the end of this month, the year will be half over. It is another of the short months with only 30 days, but there is much to remember and do. (Pop quiz-what other months have 30 days? Answer at the end of this post.)

Spring meets Summer

Many of us in the northern hemisphere made it through the cold dismal winter months only to contend with spring storms. Near where I live we have had devastating tornadoes. I’ve seen reports of massive flooding in other areas.

June promises warm, even hot, summer days to enjoy outdoor activities and vacations. The first day of summer occurs in June, called the summer solstice. South of the equator you experience the winter solstice.

It’s the longest day of the year, then the days progressively shorten until the first day of winter in December.

graphic of the earth explaining equinox and solstice
An illustration of the changing relationship of the earth and sun throughout the year; original source not known

Summer break or graduate?

Most students are on summer break or graduated and moved into a new phase of life. Congratulations and thanks if you earned and received a diploma, degree, certificate, or any other learning achievement this year.

We can use whatever knowledge and talent you bring to the table. Help us make the world a better place.

Raymond and I enjoyed celebrating our granddaughter’s high school graduation with her parents, brother, and several thousand other people.

Father’s Day

In the United States, we observe Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June. It’s not quite as big a deal as Mother’s Day in May, but it is catching on. I understand other countries have similar observances for fathers.

I wrote a post featuring a well-known Bible story about a father and two sons. It’s popularly known as the story of the “prodigal son” which became the name of a short-lived television series a few years ago.

Honoring Fatherhood: Lessons from the Prodigal Son Story

In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. A biblical story about a father and his two sons illustrates the concept of forgiveness and celebration. The “lost son,” also known as the prodigal son, represents someone who leaves and then returns, seeking forgiveness. The passage encourages honoring important father…

Keep reading

June 6-D Day

Earlier in June, we observed a more solemn event. On June 6 every year, we pause to remember that day in 1944, simply known as “D-Day.”

This year marks the 80th anniversary of that fateful day. I saw a news video of WWII veterans who traveled to France to observe the occasion. One of them is 107 years old!

D-Day. The Invasion of Normandy. Operation Overlord. It goes by various names, but we’ve all heard about it through history class, older family members, the news, or shows like “Band of Brothers.”

On June 6, 1944, more than 160,000 Allied forces landed in Nazi-occupied France as part of the biggest air, land, and sea invasion ever executed. It ended with heavy casualties — more than 9,000 Allied soldiers were killed or wounded in those first 24 hours — but D-Day is considered the successful beginning of the end of Hitler’s tyrannical regime.

Remembering a D-Day Veteran

I was privileged to know one of those soldiers and wrote about his personal experience in the invasion, and how it changed his life. Please read about my late friend, soldier, and artist, Bill Hart in this post.

A Son Reflects on his Father’s Life after D-Day, June 6, 1944

On June 6, 1944, D-Day marked the Allied invasion of Normandy, leading to the liberation of France and the end of World War II. Bill Hart, a WWII veteran, captured his traumatic experiences through art and memoirs, highlighting his struggles with PTSD and the significant impact of his memories on his life and family.

Keep reading

Juneteenth, June 19

Another important liberation day is Juneteenth, observed annually on June 19 since it was designated a national holiday in 2021. President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, thus granting freedom to enslaved persons.

The word “Juneteenth” is a Black English contraction, or portmanteau, of the month “June” and the date “Nineteenth.” Juneteenth celebrates the date of June 19, 1865, when enslaved people of African descent located in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom from the slavery system in the United States.

National Park Service

However, slaveholders in Texas, a Confederate state, made no attempt to free enslaved African Americans. President Lincoln’s proclamation was unenforceable without military intervention, which eventually came 2 years later.

Photos by Dr. Aletha -I captured these images when I visited Washington DC. President Lincoln’s and Dr. King’s statues are even more impressive in person.

Exploring the HEART of Health

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I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Now the pop quiz answer-

Months with 30 days are April, June, September, and November. Congrats if you knew all.

Notice two are in the first half and two in the year’s second half.

I appreciate your time and interest and invite you to help me share the HEART of health by sharing this and other posts. There is no charge for this content but gifts are always welcome and appreciated.

Thanks,

Dr. Aletha

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Honoring Fatherhood: Lessons from the Prodigal Son Story

In the United States, Father’s Day is celebrated on the third Sunday in June. A biblical story about a father and his two sons illustrates the concept of forgiveness and celebration. The “lost son,” also known as the prodigal son, represents someone who leaves and then returns, seeking forgiveness. The passage encourages honoring important father figures in our lives and embracing the role of a nurturing figure for others.

In the United States, we celebrate and honor fathers on the third Sunday in June, Father’s Day. However, it hasn’t always been popular, because men

“scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving, or they derided the proliferation of such holidays as a commercial gimmick to sell more products–often paid for by the father himself.”

history.com

When World War II began, advertisers insisted that celebrating Father’s Day honored American troops and supported the war effort. By the war’s end Father’s Day was a national institution and in 1972 became a national holiday.

The Prodigal Son

In the Bible, Jesus told a story about a father with two sons who chose different paths in life. He said,

“There was once a man who had two sons. The younger said to his father, ‘Father, I want right now what’s coming to me.’

So the father divided the property between them. It wasn’t long before the younger son packed his bags and left for a distant country.

man in jeans standing in a path
photo from Lightstock.com

From property to pigs

There, undisciplined and dissipated, he wasted everything he had. After he had gone through all his money, there was a bad famine all through that country and he began to feel it.

He signed on with a citizen there who assigned him to his fields to slop the pigs. He was so hungry he would have eaten the corn cobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him any. That brought him to his senses. He said,

Pigs graze on farm in countryside of Badajoz, Extremadura.
Pigs graze on farm in countryside of Badajoz, Extremadura.

Hunger for home

‘All those farmhands working for my father sit down to three meals a day, and here I am starving to death. I’m going back to my father. I’ll say to him, Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son. Take me on as a hired hand.’

He got right up and went home to his father.

Faithful Father

When he was still a long way off, his father saw him. His heart pounding, he ran out, embraced him, and kissed him. The son started his speech:

‘Father, I’ve sinned against God, I’ve sinned before you; I don’t deserve to be called your son ever again.’

But the father wasn’t listening. He was calling to the servants,

‘Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then get a prize-winning heifer and roast it.

We’re going to feast! We’re going to have a wonderful time! My son is here—given up for dead and now alive! Given up for lost and now found!’

And they began to have a wonderful time.

Photo by fauxels on Pexels.com

Sulking service

All this time his older son was out in the field. When the day’s work was done he came in. As he approached the house, he heard the music and dancing. Calling over one of the houseboys, he asked what was going on. He told him,

‘Your brother came home. Your father has ordered a feast—barbecued beef!—because he has him home safe and sound.’

The older brother stomped off in an angry sulk and refused to join in. His father came out and tried to talk to him, but he wouldn’t listen. The son said,

‘Look how many years I’ve stayed here serving you, never giving you one moment of grief, but have you ever thrown a party for me and my friends? Then this son of yours who has thrown away your money on whores shows up and you go all out with a feast!’

Let’s celebrate!

His father said, ‘Son, you don’t understand. You’re with me all the time, and everything that is mine is yours—but this is a wonderful time, and we had to celebrate.

This brother of yours was dead, and he’s alive! He was lost, and he’s found!’”

THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.

exploring the HEART of healthy families 

The young man who left home in this story, the “lost son”, is sometimes called the prodigal son.

A prodigal is a son/daughter who leaves his or her parents to do things that they do not approve of but then feels sorry and returns home —often used figuratively

merriam-webster.com

You may not have a father who nurtured you, but I hope you can think of someone who played a similar role in your life-another relative, teacher, coach, pastor, or maybe employer. Please find a way to thank and honor that person. When you have an opportunity to “father” someone who needs it, I hope you will. There are a lot of “prodigals” out there.

                 

Both of my sons are fathers. One is the father of a teenager, the other has toddlers. They both learned the art of fatherhood from their dad, my husband.

I’d love for you to follow this blog. I share information and inspiration to help you turn health challenges into health opportunities.

Add your name to the subscribe box to be notified of new posts by email. Click the link to read the post and browse other content. It’s that simple. No spam.

I enjoy seeing who is new to Watercress Words. When you subscribe, I will visit your blog or website. Thanks and see you next time.

Dr. Aletha

Meet the author of The Message at this post