Legacy Magazine
June 2025
This is an issue about Dads. Well, mostly about dads. It is Father’s Day month, after all. But perhaps it’s more about the struggle for honor as it relates to fatherhood.
It's About You, Dad.
Standing Shoulder to Shoulder: Lessons from The Art of Masculinity
Cartoonist Wanted!
Yes, you heard us! Legacy Magazine is looking for a cartoonist.
We need a man who sees the humor, wit, irony, absurdity, even the occasional flash of nobility, in Men, and can express it in art.
You may be just the man we need to contribute a cartoon every month to Legacy Magazine. Once a month, that’s it! That’s all
we ask. Just one lousy, stinkin’ little cartoon a month!
So: if you’re the next Gary Larson or Matt Groening, and have a colorful take – not a Left/Right/Political take, please – on Men, and can actually draw, then rush a sample of your work
and your contact info to:
media@mdimen.org
Fundraiser for the family of James Anthony Ellis
Dear MDI Members,
I hope this message finds you well. As many of you know our dear friend, Jennifer Ellis, is facing an unimaginable loss after the unexpected passing of her husband, Jim, on February 4th.
Jim was a champion for humanity and a valued member of our MDI family, impacting many lives through his work.
Now, navigating life on a single income, Jennifer is burdened with two mortgages and unexpected expenses related to Jim’s passing.
To help alleviate this financial strain, Kristin (sister) and Dawn (soul-sister) have set up a GoFundMe campaign to support her. We are kindly asking you to consider donating to that campaign. This will help to cover:
– Final resting plans for Jim
– Living trust attorney fees
– Household expenses, including critical repairs and utilities
No amount is too small and every contribution will be deeply appreciated. Your support can bring Jennifer peace of mind during this challenging time.
CLICK HERE to donate and support Jennifer
For those who prefer to send a gift card, or to offer help in other ways, please click the link for more details. Let’s unite to support Jennifer and to honor Jim’s legacy through our kindness. Thank you for your generosity.
Barry Finnen
Quotes About Dad!
“I believe that what we become depends on what our fathers teach us at odd moments, when they aren’t trying to teach us. We are formed by little scraps of wisdom.”
― Umberto Eco, Foucault’s Pendulum
“I’m so proud of you that it makes me proud of me. I hope you know that.”
― John Green, Will Grayson, Will Grayson
“Beauty is not who you are on the outside, it is the wisdom and time you gave away to save another struggling soul like you.”
― Shannon L. Alder
“Sometimes I think my papa is an accordion. When he looks at me and smiles and breathes, I hear the notes.”
― Markus Zusak, The Book Thief
“To be the father of growing daughters is to understand something of what Yeats evokes with his imperishable phrase ‘terrible beauty.’ Nothing can make one so happily exhilarated or so frightened: it’s a solid lesson in the limitations of self to realize that your heart is running around inside someone else’s body. It also makes me quite astonishingly calm at the thought of death: I know whom I would die to protect and I also understand that nobody but a lugubrious serf can possibly wish for a father who never goes away.”
― Christopher Hitchens, Hitch 22: A Memoir
“What I really want to tell him is to pick up that baby of his and hold her tight, to set the moon on the edge of her crib and to hang her name up in the stars.”
― Jodi Picoult, My Sister’s Keeper
“That was when the world wasn’t so big and I could see everywhere. It was when my father was a hero and not a human.”
― Markus Zusak, I Am the Messenger
“Daddy,” I whispered, feeling my own breath hitch in my throat. “I love you.”
Just when I was sure he was asleep, the one corner of his mouth lifted in a smile. “I knew that,” he murmured. “Always knew that.”
― Morgan Matson, Second Chance Summer
“Fathers never have exactly the daughters they want because they invent a notion a them that the daughters have to conform to.”
― Simone de Beauvoir, The Woman Destroyed
“The greatest thing a father can do for his children is to respect the woman that gave birth to his children. It is because of her that you have the greatest treasures in your life. You may have moved on, but your children have not. If you can’t be her soulmate, then at least be thoughtful. Whom your children love should always be someone that you acknowledge with kindness. Your children notice everything and will follow your example.”
― Shannon L. Alder, 300 Questions for a Vibrant Marriage
“The heart of a father is the masterpiece of nature.”
― Prevost Abbe, Manon Lescaut
“I always wondered why God was supposed to be a father,” she whispers. Fathers always want you to measure up to something. Mothers are the ones who love you unconditionally, don’t you think?”
― Jodi Picoult
“America used to live by the motto “Father Knows Best.” Now we’re lucky if “Father Knows He Has Children.” We’ve become a nation of sperm donors and baby daddies.”
― Stephen Colbert, I Am America
“Listen, there is no way any true man is going to let children live around him in his home and not discipline and teach, fight and mold them until they know all he knows. His goal is to make them better than he is. Being their friend is a distant second to this.”
― Victor Devlin
“Someone once said that every man is trying to live up to his father’s expectations or make up for their father’s mistakes….”
― Barack Obama, The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream