(Happy?) Father's Day

Hey.
So, today is Father's Day. A day to celebrate dads and father figures throughout the world. But, I need to ask the question, what are you supposed to do when and if you don't have a father to celebrate?
Let me tell you, as a child from a divorced family. I grew up with just a mother and a sister. No father around for father's day, birthdays, Christmas or anything else in between. During elementary school, every art class centred around some sort of holiday. Every one was just fine, until Father's Day came rolling around, just to haunt me and reiterate every year that something was missing from my life. We would do big projects centred directly around a celebration of how "great dad is" and how he's "always been there through everything". I would make the craft, the whole time wondering, who do I have in my life that I can possibly think of giving this to on that special day that was reserved specifically for dads. With a tear in my eye and a little pain in my heart, I would write To: Mom- Happy Father's Day. It killed me a little bit inside everytime; and I'm not quite sure how it affected her when she saw her little girl's heart breaking every year, every Father's Day and every Christmas when I would have a father-specific present/gift/craft and no one to give it to.
I was discussing this with my mother the other day and I've decided that Father's Day and Mother's Day shouldn't really exist. What with families being what they are these days. There are so many different types of families, it doesn't make sense that there would be specific days for these. For instance, we could have Parent's Day, which can celebrate your two moms, your two dads, your mom and dad, just your dad or just your mom. One day to celebrate them all. In that case, no child feels bad on one specific day because their mom ran off five years ago and hasn't written, or your father died in Afghanistan. Or that your dad lives 20 minutes away and still doesn't visit. No child should have to go through that pain. It's hard enough living in a situation like that, let alone having the constant reminder through the public education system that you've been abandoned by one of your parents, but hey, what the heck, let's make something to celebrate them for the 6 months they were in your life.
It just doesn't make sense to me. I guess it's kind of a sensitive topic for me, as Father's Day has always been difficult for me. I find the whole 24 hours every year I constantly think: Don't think about it, do something else. And I never can get my mind off of it. Not really. I like to think I do, but I know in my heart of hearts, all I want is to celebrate one Father's Day with my dad, where I give him a new gardening hat, bring him to supper or buy him a coffee. Just so he can know that even though we don't talk, I still love him and I wish we could spend some more time together. Just one. One Father's Day is all I want. I'm starting to think that that's a little too much to ask though.
To those fortunate enough to have fathers to celebrate with, please enjoy every minute of it. Please appreciate your father, there are people out there who don't know their father, or who don't have an opportunity to get to know them, or who were abandoned by their father, or who have lost their father. Fathers are truly a gift and they should be celebrated. Even if it's a quick email before you head off to work this morning, or a phone call when you get home from church. Either way, let him know you're thinking of him. Whether he'll admit it or not, I'm sure it will mean a lot to him to know his kids are thinking about him on this beautiful Sunday.