Father's Day, for me, brings together so many lines of thought that it's difficult to weave them into a coherent narrative. But my daddy didn't raise a quitter, so here goes.

Ultimately, we must begin with God, our Father in heaven. The analogy so often used in scripture and in inspirational writing essentially boils down to grace and unconditional love. Our Father (and His Son like Him) forgives us of our sins and shortcomings because He loves us. The parable of the Prodigal Son from the Gospel of Luke is perhaps one of the better known versions on this theme and one with many layers and lessons.

My biological father was also my 'family father,' that is, the man in the house who raised me. I know that I'm lucky in that regard given that so many in my generation and many more in later generations live in divided homes, often without an admirable father figure, or with a father who is only a marginal and less involved character.

The family breakdown in America (50+ percent of marriages end in divorce) and the government incentives against marriage leading to shocking rates of unwed mothers giving birth, all these things that discourage "fatherhood" in the sense of active parenting, are directly related to many of our societal problems. The absence of involved fathers is an undeniable problem....but also a subject for another time. Back to my father.

Overall, I was a good kid, but got in my share of trouble, and thus I continue to regret all those times that I disappointed my father or caused him unnecessary stress and worry. I know that he loved me despite my faults and that I loved him. Unconditional love can overcome a vast array of sins and faults. I generally learned from my mistakes and didn't repeat them. The joy and pride in my life’s achievements was made deeper by the knowledge that my father was proud of them, too.

Cancer took him from this life in July of 2000. I miss his physical presence but know that he’s still watching, and still a part of my life, indelibly stamped. As I age, I am reminded of him every time I look in a mirror. As my sons move through their teen years, I am reminded of the trials I put on Dad. I only hope to live up to his example as a father and as a man.

One of the joys and pains of parenthood is the desire to protect one's children, to have them learn from the parent's mistakes (or that of others) in order to avoid the pain and consequences for the children. One of the most important functions of family is to pass on the wisdom of the ages, in terms of real life experiences, to future generations. But, alas, there are some lessons that some children just insist on learning "the hard way." It’s frustrating for parents to acknowledge that they can't protect their child from everything, but wisdom eventually helps parents to accept that children must make some mistakes of their own as a "learning experience."

In that vein, historians and history-minded citizens suffer the same pains. We see mistakes made by people in the past and we see people making the same mistakes today. We warn and preach and attempt to persuade our fellow citizens not to make the same mistakes, but those efforts often seem fruitless. The best known proverb in this regard is a paraphrase of the wisdom attributed to philosopher George Santayana, “Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it.”

The American Founding Fathers looked at forms of government through the ages and attempted to take the best forms, adapted with wisdom and knowledge of human nature and history, to form a lasting republic in order to prove their “revolutionary” premise that “the people” could indeed govern themselves given some enlightened self interest, a good measure of moral character and willingness to guard against the inevitable thieves who would steal their liberties and treasure under the guise of "helping" the people.

"The problem to be solved is, not what form of government is perfect, but which of the forms is least imperfect." --James Madison

"The truth is that all men having power ought to be mistrusted." --James Madison

"I believe there are more instances of the abridgment of the freedom of the people by gradual and silent encroachments of those in power than by violent and sudden usurpations." --James Madison

"It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions." --James Madison, from Federalist #51