Sunday is a chance to honor one of the most special people in our lives — our dads.

Fathers are so important for the development of a family as they provide strength during some of life’s toughest moments and always seem to know when to toss in a joke or two at the perfect moment.

Dads usually help with our local sports teams and teach us how to perfectly tie a tie.

They aren’t always perfect, but they don’t have to be.

The difference a loving and caring father can make in the life of a child is impossible to measure.

Research from the National Fatherhood Initiative shows that when a child grows up in a father-absent home, the child is four times more likely to live in poverty, more likely to suffer emotional and behavioral problems, more likely to abuse drugs and alcohol and more likely to commit crimes and to go to prison.

The numbers sum it up fairly well — the impact of a father in the life of a child is gigantic.

Those lucky enough to have a father figure in their lives should spend Sunday celebrating with the man that probably once helped change their diapers and likely first taught them how to ride a bike.

Many dads may prefer to spend the day on the lake fishing or simply lazily wasting the day on the couch watching a favorite TV show or movie.

On Sunday, whatever dad wants, dad gets. Whether it is going to church with your dad, taking him out to eat or just calling him to tell him happy Father’s Day, make sure your dad knows how much you appreciate him.

After all, it’s hard to imagine where we’d be without our dads in our lives to show us how to be strong and pick us up after we fall.