On Sunday, we will all have the opportunity to celebrate the man who helped instill in us some of the morals and life lessons that we carry day in and day out. While not every parent (both mothers or fathers) steps up to the plate, Sunday is a day to celebrate the good fathers that are out there.

One such father is my very own dad. My father didn’t live with me, but that never stopped him from being a dad to me. Growing up, my father was both stern and a goofball all wrapped up into one. Ninety percent of the day he was a jokester, while the other 10 percent was dedicated to discipline.

Then, and know, if me or my sister needed help with anything, he was willing to make the 30-minute trip to see what he could do. Though making it to every football game was difficult — my father is a truck driver — he never missed a beat in telling me how proud of me he was, which was just as important as making it to the game itself.

My father was and continues to be a hard worker. It was him who helped foot the bill when it came to me going to Maryville College, which wasn’t a cheap bill in the least. And, despite it being a burden on his wallet I’m sure, he pushed me to finish college in his own joking yet honest way.

Now, I am a 29-year-old man trying my best to raise my own family, and he still never misses a beat to give me a “I’m proud of you son” every now and then. All of these things, and my father did it without living in the same house as me.

I’m facing a similar situation in my own life now, and experiencing those life lessons from my father during my youth is a blessing. Sure, I wish I could see my kids every day, but being able to look back and see that my father was able to show me all the love in the world without actually being in the same house eases my mind.

I just hope that one day, my children can look back at me and say the same thing. My father sets a high bar to beat though.

I explain all of that just to say, enjoy Sunday. Whether your father lives (or lived) with you or not, take the time to praise them just as much as we praise our moms. In this day and age, finding a great father is hard to do. So, let’s praise the ones who are actually out there.

Happy Father’s Day.