MY DEAR OLD DAD Lester A. Rowland (Written for Father’s Day 1936) Dear old Dad, now seventy-one, I am still your boy, your eldest son, I look years backward when a lad, You have been such a fine old Dad. What an example you have been You’ve been so different from most men. You’ve taught me not to smoke or chew, Not to drink hard liquor or home brew, Not to curse or swear like sin, Nor ever to enter a red light den. I found these things very easy to do, You Dad, did not curse, smoke or chew. You never did drink or carouse around, Nor in unquestionable places was found. You taught me how to do my work And not my daily duties shirk. You showed me the way to be blessed Is always try to do your best. You’ve worked hard from early to late, To help your children educate, And every chance you’ve given me To make me what I ought to be. You’ve even taken off time to play And show your boys the only way To have a good time is not to cheat, But always expect sometime to be beat. But the years have passed and I’m a Dad too, And I owe so much, so much to you. You’ve been such a pal, you’ve been so fine, I’m trying to be such a Dad to mine. So I’m here today just your little boy, My life has mostly been a great joy. You’ve helped me life’s pitfalls to see By being such a good Dad to me.