The annual day where we celebrate the source of corny jokes and pristine landscaping is here: Father’s Day.

To all the men who make sure the yard is in order, the grill is always ready to go and who are always only ever a call away, cheers to you. 

Now, personally, I am not a father, nor will I ever be one. But I am blessed to say that I do have a father of my own, and I am immensely grateful for him and all that he’s taught me. 

Sure, there’s all the traditional stuff that dads teach their kids. But when I look back on the time I’ve spent with my own dad, some of the fondest memories are drawn from the niche.

I think about how my dad taught me to play Rummy 500, the card game, in elementary school. Though I wasn’t very good then, and I’m a bit out of practice now, there won’t ever be a time that I play a card game and don’t think of those days at the kitchen table with my dad. 

Another thing that fits into that picture is how my dad taught me to make tea. Specifically, when I was young, we always kept peppermint tea in my house. I don’t know why specifically peppermint, but I grew up steeping it in the teapot, often while playing cards.

Today, when I brew tea, I still think about my childhood with my dad. Making tea is a relatively simple process, so it might be a bit of a stretch to say I do it the way he taught me, but nonetheless, the sentiment is there.

These are just two examples of the small ways that dads impact their children’s lives: By teaching them the little things, and sharing moments that can be looked back on fondly forever. 

Oftentimes, when reflecting on great moments of parental advice and intervention, one can feel the need to point out the sweeping moments of saviorhood, like being saved from a rabid dog or catching you when you fell through the wood of an old porch…

But the quiet, peaceful moments, just cards and tea, are cemented in my mind. There’s no great lesson to learn from them about being an upstanding parent or hidden message about what makes a good dad. 

It’s just a father and his daughter, happy together, in the calm. It’s cards and it’s tea; it’s a grateful daughter and a loving father.

Happy Father’s Day, Dad. I love you!

Kate Verity is the news editor of The Covington News. She can be reached at kverity@covnews.com.