Fatherhood is about unconditional love, sacrifice, strength and dependability. President Obama is credited with maintaining a very important task that doesn’t require any new spending: he is an excellent role model for responsible fatherhood.

“Our children don’t need us to be superheros. They don’t need us to be perfect. They do need us to be present. They need us to show up, and give it our best shot, no matter what else is going on in our lives,” President Obama said last year during a White House Father’s Day event.

Most folks credit Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Wash., with the idea for Father’s Day. While listening to a Mother’s Day sermon, she decided she wanted a way to honor her father who had raised her and her five siblings after the death of their mother. June being the month of his birthday, the first Father’s Day was celebrated June 19, 1910.

Though the holiday was supported by Calvin Coolidge when he was president in 1924, Father’s Day didn’t become official until 1966 when Lyndon Johnson signed the presidential proclamation that made it so.

Father’s Day now lands on the third Sunday of every June in the United States, though it’s celebrated on various days throughout the year around the world. Honoring your father on his special day may be a daunting task. Here are some ideas on how to celebrate Dear Old Dad:

Make his favorite foods for a fun, dad-pleasing day. What better way to get pops up on the right side of the bed than with a great breakfast. Choose something new, like the Sausage Breakfast Wrap recipe ***, or favorites like scrambled eggs and bacon.

Dad’s day is a great time to fire up the grill. Treat him with an All-American burger or honor him with a juicy steak using the Sweet Grilled Steak Bites recipe *** . Beyond the barbecue, if miniature golf, a trip to the beach or the latest Blockbuster movie is not your dad’s cup of joe, leave an impression this year with BIG ARTS wide variety of perfect-for-dad gifts. Locally crafted steel sculptures of native wildlife and paintings by local artists are just two examples of gifts that any father would love.

The Founders Gallery and BIG ARTS gift shop are located at 900 Dunlop Road and open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. There is a 10 percent purchase discount for BIG ARTS members.

If cooking is not your idea of fabulous time, Traditions on the Beach, the gulf front casual dining restaurant located at the Island Inn on Sanibel, has a special treat in store for a Father’s Day celebration dinner from 5 p.m. onwards on Sunday.

Go and have a delicious dinner, with the freshest and finest local ingredients while enjoying live music and dancing with piano man Joe McCormick, with a special Father’s Day repertoire for Dad to enjoy.

McCormick is back, and performs Broadway, jazz, Latin, pop hits and everything in between. He’s accompanied by the beautiful and talented vocalists Barbara Smith and Maravilla Marzan each Friday and Saturday night.

The performers are back with Andrea at Traditions on the Beach, restaurant, full bar and lounge, playing at 6:30 p.m. each night. Enjoy dinner, drinks and dancing, join Andrea, Joe, and the whole Traditions crew to make this Father’s Day special.

Reservations are recommended; call 472 4559. For more information, visit www.traditionsonthebeach.com‘>www.traditionsonthebeach.com.

If your dad is “Mr. Fix It,” Bailey’s True Value Hardware store has multi-tool sets to fit in any budget: 65-piece mechanic set for $24.97; a 3-piece set that includes a drill and flashlight, $24.97; and a 4-piece plier set for $19.99. True Value offers great gifts for any dad, but if he enjoys a nice cigar, visit The Grog Shop for the island’s best selection – Arturo Fuente, Cohibas and Romeo and Juliettas are some of the most popular.

The Grog Shop also contains the island’s only walk-in humidor for that perfect cigar and it offers the largest and best selection of domestic and imported wine, spirits and liqueurs all under one roof. It is located at the Bailey Shopping Center. To view more of what The Grog Shop carries, visit its web site at www.grogshopsanibel.com‘>www.grogshopsanibel.com.

Celebrate dear ol’ dad this year with the most precious gift of all – your time.