As I write this—near the end of May—it is grey, cold, and windy, the icy rain pellets have piled up like snow… but we have a fire in the woodstove. In just a few weeks, we will be celebrating the summer solstice, Father’s Day, grilling outside, and complaining about the heat.
Father’s Day is always observed on the third Sunday of June. For me, it is especially meaningful when Father’s Day lands on the same day as Summer Solstice, which this year is June 20 (some sources say it is on the 21). When the sun is at its highest and the Earth’s poles are at their maximum tilt toward the sun, we celebrate the longest day of the year. This happens in the northern hemisphere in June and in the southern hemisphere in December. I am profoundly aware of the circle of life at the solstices. As soon as we celebrate the summer solstice, the days begin to shorten again and in exactly half an Earth orbit around the sun—six months—we will be marking the shortest day of the year: or, you could say, the longest night.
Just as the moon and winter are associated with darkness, yin, and feminine energy, the sun is all about its opposite, solar power! The heat of summer is symbolic of the father principle, the yang, masculine energy of fire and light. How fitting that Father’s Day falls in June, just the right time for fishing and all those great outdoor summer activities that a lot of dads enjoy.
June is National Camping Month and also Fishing Month and June 18 is National Fishing Day. Why not spend a few days fishing with your dad (or your kids)? In the Questa area, we like to make a big deal about fishing, and why not? I have heard that in the 1960s Questa was the top fly-fishing destination in the country. We believe it and that distinction is coming back! If you would like to know more about why our local area is so great for fishing, read Toner Mitchell’s article on page 14, in our Fishing, Recreation, and Wildlife section.
Father’s Day doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. Who sends flowers to their dad on Father’s Day or takes him out to brunch? Grilling and fishing are more dad-like. On page 5, read Cynthia Najim’s business profile on El Monte Carlo, Questa’s eatery and drinkery that just opened a new beer garden outside, just in time for summer—and a great place to treat your dad to something special.
If your father is no longer with us, it’s still a good day to remember him and reflect on the meaning he had in your life. Not everyone is lucky enough to have happy childhood memories. If the memories of your father are painful, chances are his memories of his own father were painful, too. Again, the cycle of life is apparent, whether our father gave us scars or gold stars, we learned from him and we tend to teach our own children the same lessons. It is never too late to have a happy childhood, so get out and have some fun this month, and create beautiful memories.
We are proud to be celebrating Pride Month in June, also known as National LGBTQUIA Month (pronounced el gee bee tee cue you eye ay). Don’t know what that means? We didn’t either, and had to employ a cultural anthropologist to spell it out for us. Check out our center spread, pages 16-17, for more about what Pride Month is all about.
Thank you for reading our newspaper. We are proud to be your local news source.
Lou McCall, Editor, and all the proud folks of the Questa Del Rio News
