The father of eight children, he saw his share of strife1.
When I was very little, he appeared to be so large.
In my eyes he could do anything, we all knew he was in charge2.
He was a man of great strength both physically and in mind,
but in him there was a gentleness, he found ways to be outgoing3 and kind.
Many days of childhood were greeted with a kiss,
and songs to me as I awoke, those days I surely miss.
He made me feel so special, “Miss America” he would sing.
I knew I had my father's love. It gave me courage to do most4 anything.
From him I learned to stand up tall, to be proud of who I am.
Strength and determination were the qualities of this fine man.
As the years of his life dwindled down5, that strength kept him alive.
Plus the unfailing determination to help my ailing6 mother have the care she needed to survive.
He loved her and his children, so much he gave up years of his life
caring for this woman, his soulmate, his wife.
Day and night he struggled for years with her disease.
A lesser man would have been brought down to his knees7.
With illnesses of his own, he still stood by her side
caring for her and loving her until the day she died.
Twenty days later his own time was at an end.
I lost my hero, my father, a man who was my friend.
A few years have passed, and life just isn't the same.
But as Father's Day approaches, I will celebrate8 his name.
With prayers to him and God above to stay by my side,
to watch over me and guide me, to look down on me with pride.
For I am my father's daughter, one day we will meet again.
But until then I will remember, and the love will never end.
我父親是我的英雄，在我一生從未改變。
身為八個孩子的父親，他清楚自己重任在肩。
當我還是小不點，他顯得是如此高大。
在我眼中他無所不能，我們知道是他當家。
他的身心都蘊藏著無窮的力量，
但他也溫柔，能讓人感到他友善直爽。
兒時的許多早晨，我都是被他的親吻和歌聲喚醒，
那些日子令我懷念萬分。
他讓我感覺如此特殊，“美國小姐”他輕聲吟唱。
我知道我擁有父親的愛。這愛給我勇氣去做，去闖。
從他那里我學會昂首挺胸，為自己驕傲。
力量和決心將這位優秀的男人打造。
雖然日漸衰老，但他的力量使他活力依然。
還有他堅定的決心，要讓我體弱多病的母親得到她需要的關愛繼續留在人寰。
他愛她，他愛孩子，于是他把生命中的許多春秋
投入照顧這位女人，他的妻子，他心心相印的伴侶。
多少年的日日夜夜他奮力抗爭，為了她的疾病。
換個不太堅強的男人恐怕早已認命。
雖然他有自己的病痛，但他一直守在她的身邊，
關照她，愛她，直到她永遠合上了眼。
二十天后他的生命也走到盡頭。
我失去了我的英雄，我的父親，我的朋友。
幾年過去了，生活已是另一番風景。
但隨著父親節的來臨，我要頌揚他的美名。
祈禱他和在天的上帝能陪伴我，
看護我，引導我，自豪地俯視我。
因為我是我父親的女兒，總有一天我們會重逢。
但在此以前我會懷念他，會永遠愛他。
※本文作者：佚名※