(a Father’s Day poem for Dad)
Because of You
When days were young, and so were we,
We saw within our family
A man who was our steady force,
Who set the stage and held the course.
You laid the groundwork through the years,
Protecting us from want or fears;
We felt secure, and safe inside,
To know our father as our guide.
Because of you, we know our place
Within this world … within this space;
You grounded us and showed the way
Through words and actions every day.
You are the man who “walks the walk”,
Authentically, you “talk the talk”,
A model we could strive to be
Whose life conveys integrity.
As we grow older, we have found,
The lives you’ve touched are “all” around,
They reach beyond our family net
To people we have never met.
Through work and your philanthropy,
Your lessons and your legacy
Reach out beyond the present day
To touch more lives along the way.
Your modesty and humble grace,
Have set examples we could trace;
In quiet dignity, we learned
Accomplishments that you have earned.
We’re proud to be a part of you,
A man whose gentleness is true,
A man who balances with care,
The parts of him that we all share.
So thank you Dad, for all you’ve done,
For all your love from “our” day one;
For all the wisdom you impart,
That write the stories of our heart.
/Kit Detering June 14, 2025