Cord Byrd: “as spring turns to summer, as the calendar rolls from Easter to Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, our workaday…”

“as spring turns to summer, as the calendar rolls from Easter to Memorial Day to the Fourth of July, our workaday schedule is pleasantly interrupted by numerous holidays--days of remembrance, for the most part. We honor the death and the rebirth of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we honor the fallen heroes of our Nation's wars. We honor our mothers and the flag of our Nation. Graduation ceremonies honoring matriculating students have been taking place every weekend around the country as high schools and colleges conclude their academic years. In West Virginia--how sweet the sound--we honor the anniversary of our statehood this month as well. This Sunday, June 20, 2004, the penultimate day of spring, the Nation honors fathers. The word ``father,'' how sweet that sounds. Jesus taught us to pray, ``Our Father who art in Heaven.'' The Bible says, ``Honor thy father and thy mother.'' We can be sure that fathers will be honored this Sunday because it will be the mothers and the daughters who do the planning for this event--not the often inept party planners who call themselves men. Men can plan military campaigns and vacation travels, but somehow our skills frequently fall short at birthdays and holidays. Fathers do offer other talents, however. Fathers are builders-- builders of tree houses, builders of sand castles, of backyard patios, and model volcanoes for third grade science projects.…”