Happy Father’s Day. Many fathers out there are men of few words. They’d much rather lead by example than by talking about it all day.

Therefore, we found this quote from Clarence Budington Kelland to have some real relevance on this Father’s Day weekend.

“My father didn’t tell me how to live. He lived and let me watch him do it.”

Those words certainly resonated with a few of us here on the editorial board.

Some of our dads aren’t (or weren’t) big talkers. But they told us all we needed to know through their actions. And we believe that being a good example is a perfect first step to being a good dad.

Our dads have taught us how important it is to treat the people we see on a daily basis with proper respect. They’ve also shown us how important it is to treat the people we might never see again.

Through examples, they’ve shown us how we should treat our own children in raising them to be the young men and women they’re capable of becoming.

Fathers are also the ones who have provided us with a lifetime of memories we’ll never forget.

There were daytime trips to amusement parks and night games. Those much younger than us might have to ask their dads exactly what those were. They won’t mind sharing the stories.

There were days of fishing, baseball, football, basketball, rugby, soccer or whatever we were enjoying at the time.

To us, they were simply days of fun.

To them, they were also ways of creating bonds that can only be made between a dad and his kids. We just might not have known it at the time.

Dads are the ones who were there patting you on the back for the big win or putting an arm around your shoulder after the toughest of losses.

And those gestures aren’t just reserved for sports. They’re for life.

Our dads are the ones who were worried about us even when we weren’t necessarily worried about ourselves.

In many cases, they probably knew us better than we knew ourselves. If you’re too young to know what we’re talking about yet, just wait. Our guess is you’ll know at some point.

But for many who learned those lessons years ago, their only wish is that their dads were still with us on Father’s Day weekend.

To truly put into perspective just how important good dads are in our lives, we can just take a look at recent U.S. Census Bureau stats that highlight the impact of the nearly 1 in 4 Americans living without a father in the home. Those include the children in the house being at a much greater risk of poverty, having behavioral problems and being more likely to go to prison or commit a crime.

For those who didn’t have a father in their home, many have had father figures who stepped up to fill in some of those gaps. On this weekend, we commend them, as well, for being the dads they didn’t have to be.

So if you’re lucky enough to still have your dad around, be sure to take the time this weekend to let them know how much they mean to you. Head to the ballpark, watch a game with him at his house or give him a phone call to let him know how much he means to you.

If he isn’t around any longer, remember some of the good times and share them with your own families and friends.

We can say two things with true certainty.  Being a good dad isn’t easy.  But being a good dad is certainly worth it.

Happy Father’s Day. To all the uncles and grandfathers who have stepped up to fill the shoes that have been left behind.