For years, father knew best. Then, perhaps as a counter to that, for years there was hardly a smart, solid father figure to be found on American television.

They simply went overboard in denigrating men.

Hopefully, we're over that, and can give men and fathers a little credit for knowing a little something.

Not to sell single mothers short; they do wonders. In fact, some of them ought to get cards on both Mother's Day and Father's Day. But the fact remains that no one is better suited to show a boy how to grow into a man than a father.

That doesn't diminish the woman's role any more than the woman's diminishes the man's. Instead, they complement each other.

Men haven't always honored women as they should; it's part of the wedding vow for both parties. But many do -- and society hardly ever celebrates that. They work hard, play hard and worry about the future. They work overtime to stash some cash for the family vacation. Then, like Chevy Chase's tragic hero in the Vacation movies, they experience more stress than they get at work, trying to show the family a good time for a week.

We celebrate such fathers today. But truly, we should appreciate them every day.

If you're fortunate enough to have the chance today, thank yours.