St. Therese of Lisieux’s dad, Louis Martin, and my dad may have been born countless decades apart, but I think they were somehow divinely inspired by each other. 

Both men worked hard in their careers to provide for their families, instilling in their wives confidence to have careers of their own.

Just like St. Louis fostered an appreciation for beauty in nature in his daughters, my dad fostered in me an appreciation for another kind of beauty: music. He and my mom always had a CD playing in the stereo on those June summer nights of my childhood, and I fell in love with the tunes of John Fogerty, The Beach Boys, Jimmy Buffett, Billy Joel, Bruce Springsteen, Tim McGraw, and Frank Sinatra. It is because of my dad and mom, respectively, that my favorite instruments to listen to are piano and guitar, and why I dabble in music today. 

As we approach Father’s Day, the thirteenth without my dad, I miss him completely, immensely, and fervently. 

But I know he is interceding for me as the unofficial yet still official to me St. Michael Andrew, praying and galavanting around with my other favorite guys: Pier Giorgio, Carlo, Joseph, and Jesus. 

If you are missing a dad, granddad, uncle, or important father figure in your life this June, know I am praying for you, along with my dad. We will get through this milestone of memories together.