It is "Father's Day" here - and I suppose elsewhere

although I have no idea about that.

It isn't something this family fusses about. Like "Mother's Day" we see it as an excuse by others to tell us how we should buy an expensive present for our father. 

The Senior Cat would be appalled and embarrassed if we did that. He knows we love him and that we will always do whatever we can for   him. 

If he phoned me right now and said, "Get me out of here" I would get help and go and get him. I would do it at any time of the day or night and I would miss an event I had been looking forward to in order to do it. I have no idea how we would cope but he wouldn't do it unless he felt there was no other option. We all know that. He is not unreasonable.

Our mother was the same about "Mother's Day" - in fact rather worse. We were not allowed to do anything to celebrate that. It sometimes led to us being embarrassed in other ways. We became experts in fielding questions (and even on occasion lying) about what we had done for her on Mother's Day.

Today though Middle Cat is planning on "springing" the Senior Cat for the day. It is forecast to be a lovely day - sunny and warm without being too hot. So far no plans have been made. It is up to him. If he simply wants to sit and chat to his SIL as he works in the shed that's fine. If we take a picnic somewhere that's good too. What he does is up to him. It isn't because it is Father's Day. It is because it happens to be a Sunday and good weather.  We last did something similar about ten days ago. All things being equal we might well do something like that again in the future.

And this is how it should be - for us. I know other people will see it differently. They will do things differently but this is right for us. I know that such occasions are going to become more rare and that they will one day stop altogether. I dread that moment and I know it could happen at any time. It is why it is important to make the most of times together now.

It is also why those protesting about doing things like wearing a mask and using hand sanitiser infuriate me.