Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 103 Part 3.djvu/983

 PROCLAMATION 5989—JUNE 9, 1989 103 STAT. 3051 tivities at which they can honor their country in an appropriate manner, including publicly reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this seventh day of June, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hun- dred and thirteenth. GEORGE BUSH Proclamation 5989 of June 9, 1989 Father's Day, 1989 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation By tradition, the third Sunday in June is designated Father's Day. Each year, we Americans observe this special day with renewed apprecia- tion for the many gifts fathers bestow upon their children and the Nation. When a father cradles his first child in his arms he knows that he holds the wonder of life itself. In that tender moment, he becomes aware of the endless rewards and awesome responsibilities of father- hood. A father sees the future not as some distant time and remote concern, but as the place in history where his children will dwell. He thus re- gards the world with a profound sense of stewardship, taking active in- terest in the course of current events and piu^suing every endeavor as an investment in his children's well-being. Though their gratitude may often go imspoken, children long remember their father's affection, hard work, and generosity. The simple joys of dad's piggyback rides, patient coaching, and countless little treats and surprises are memories that a child cherishes forever. What teenage girl who has winced at her father's scrutiny of her prom date, what boy who has rolled his eyes at dad's familiar lecture on driving carefully, has not also recognized these paternal "offenses" as signs of love and concern? Most children, however, do not fully appreciate their father's concerns and sacrifices until they have children of their own. A father will carry the weight of the world on his shoulders for his family, but he will also leave the world and its distractions behind when his children need an attentive listener or another player in a game of catch. Though he may be worried about everything from a sick baby to the cost of shoes, his children are touched only by his quiet strength and faith in God. Fathers also provide an example of discipline, concern, and commit- ment. Children learn from their fathers that unconditional love is the foundation of a family and that it cannot exist apart from respect, con- sideration, faithfulness, and responsibility. A father, in shaping the character of his children, helps to shape the character of our Nation.

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