~ Appreciating Fathers & Husbands ~ on the Summer Solstice

I found some interesting information on the Summer Solstice at the blog "The Wild Hunt" that describes the solstice as,

Today (and last night) is the celebration of the Summer Solstice*, also known as Midsummer, or Litha. It is at this time that the Northern Hemisphere is tilted closest to the sun (the opposite being true for our friends in the Southern Hemisphere). It is a time of fertility and celebration: bonfires, maypoles, dancing, and outdoor festivals have been traditional during this time for most of human history. In some modern Pagan faiths it is believed that this holiday represents the highest ascendancy of masculine divinity. ---The Wild Hunt, http://wildhunt.org/blog/2009/06/happy-summer-solstice-2.html

Hmm, the 'highest ascendancy of male divinity'? That is an interesting connection to Father's day, no? And on to Father's Day . . .

Here is my Father's Day Top 10 list, to my husband:

1. I get to be a stay-at-home mama for my young children
2. He supports my running and swimming by watching the kids and encouraging me
3. He takes the girls on a walk every evening to put them to sleep
4. He makes dinner and does dishes when the kids need my attention (clam and garlic tortilla pizza anyone?)
5. He can work on a bike, car, house, fence, garden . . .
6. He was right there to catch our newborn daughters as they entered the world
7. He has been interested and supportive in the many different parenting choices we have made
8. He is willing to try new things
9. He likes seaweed & bicycles
10. He jumps on the trampoline with my four year old daughter at 9:30 at night, because she says it is really important to her

Also visit my blog entry for Father's Day 2008 (last year): Daddy's Circle: A Poem for Father's Day

Working on a gate, Marina watches