How To Remember It’s Father’s Day (For Next Year – This Year It’s Already Too Late)

Just so we’re clear. Father’s Day is here already. It’s too late. Just go grab something out of his closet and gift wrap it for him. He may not even notice unless it’s the same thing you stole/gave to him last year. You never remember Father’s Day. Guess what? Most of us don’t. Including fathers. Here are a few indicators it might be that time of year.

Sports

Father’s Day falls in the middle of the NBA Finals, The Stanley Cup Finals, and Baseball season. It’s after the NFL Draft but before the MLB all-star game. If the NFL is on, then you have definitely missed Father’s Day. And if you know what each of these acronyms stands for, you’ve already made your dad so proud.

Mother’s Day

Father’s Day comes almost exactly a month after Mother’s Day on the calendar. To be fair, they probably did that on purpose so we’d be forced to remember our dad is also our parent and that he too has a national holiday devoted to him. Mother’s Day has a whole marketing campaign and an entire floral industry behind it. Father’s Day has almost no marketing and there is no, “Nap-while-watching-the-game,” industry. Both holidays fall on a Sunday as a reminder of the saintly values we associate with our mother and the need for someone to drive us all to church that we associate with our dad.

Calendars

Look, we all know warnings about a pending Father’s Day are everywhere. Likewise, we all know the only reason you don’t ever seem to remember it is that you know he doesn’t really care either. But still, check a calendar, look it up online, and periodically check the signage at The Bass Pro Shop. He may not like the gift you properly planned for, but he’ll like that you took the initiative.

Let’s face it, from a celebratory standpoint, Father’s Day may technically be more closely related to Sibling’s Day than to Mother’s Day, but does that mean we shouldn’t give it attention? Maybe.

But if we don’t we will definitely feel guilty.