Have you ever sat down and thought about the fact that everything in life is just a matter of perspective?

Situations and events don’t really change, only our position to them and our thoughts on what has occurred shift and grow.

Father’s Day is a great example.

For me — and likely for many of you — the day hasn’t always gotten the attention it deserves. It is embarrassing to admit that, but it is true.

Sure, I always made sure to tell my pops to have a good one and gave him the obligatory card, coffee cup, tie or other trinket.

But rarely did I ever really give the day the recognition or focus it should get.

That changed about two and half years ago.

On Jan 27, 2008, my daughter was born. It might be the greatest understatement of all time to say that my life changed overnight.

Of course everyone warned me that it would and I responded that I knew what to expect.

Obviously, I couldn’t fully comprehend all that was to come.

I have a new respect for my father, all other fathers and what it truly means to be a good one.

My perspective on Father’s Day changed again about a year ago. My dad, who never went to the doctor and was always in good health, wasn’t feeling great and went to get checked out.

We were all shocked when we heard the diagnosis: The big C.

Cancer.

This was an eye-opener for me and forced me to acknowledge our own mortality.

Thankfully, dad fought hard and has overcome this hurdle.

And, guess what? Everything is about to change again.

My second daughter will likely be born before the month is out.

That will surely change my perspective once again.

So why am I sharing all this and why should you care? Maybe you won’t but if even one person reads this and spends a few minutes thinking about what it means to be a father and ways you can say thank you to their own, I would say these are words well spent.

Of course, no fathers are perfect and all make mistakes, but we should all look for the good.

Former New York governor Mario Cuomo summed it up perfectly.

“I talk and talk and talk, and I haven’t taught people in 50 years what my father taught by example in one week.”

We should all strive to equal our fathers’ influence or surpass it if necessary.

And it won’t be in what we say, but in what we do. Doing the right things and being a good father is something that won’t change regardless of perspective.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.

Michael Caldwell is publisher of The Tribune. To reach him, call (740) 532-1445 ext. 24 or by e-mail at mike.caldwell@irontontribune.com.