CRESTVIEW — Today, North Okaloosa County children will honor their fathers with tool sets, car maintenance kits and ties, among expected gifts.
Some News Bulletin readers want to honor dads with just their words.
'HE BECAME MISTER MOM'
One word in particular enters Dawn Martin's mind when she thinks of her father, Lewis Elwood.
Hero.
The retired Marine "worked for everything we ever had till one day a fall made him and Mom change roles," she said. "He became Mister Mom."
Over the years, despite some challenges — "his body has given out and he's mostly confined to a chair," Martin said — her dad's dedication remains strong.
"My daughter was born with a lot of issues," she said. "Through the adoption, numerous doctor appointments, MRIs and surgeries, he was there.
"He was the rocker when I had been up all night because she wouldn't or couldn't sleep. He's been my oldest constant in her life … he's our rock when everything falls apart."
'MY DAD IS AWESOME'
Stefney Haskell, of Crestview, said she loves that she and her father share the same hobby: hunting.
Haskell fondly recalls her first deer kill. It happened during an in-season hunting trip this year in Garden City.
She proudly shares a photo of father and daughter, in their camouflage coveralls, grabbing the 150-pound 9-point buck's antlers.
And the unforgettable memory it represents. Stefney had been waiting to hunt for two years.
"My dad is awesome because he let me kill my first big buck with his gun," she said.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: 'He's our rock': 2 residents share why their fathers are special