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Long held as a symbol of strength and endurance, the oak seems a worthy object to compare to our fathers.

In advance of Father’s Day, the two share qualities admired by many.

Nations have chosen oaks to symbolize their countries for their longevity. Oak branches adorn the coat of arms for Estonia while the oak is the national tree for the United States, Bulgaria, England, Estonia, France, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Poland and Serbia.

Oak leaves are important symbols in the armed forces, as any officer will tell you. A major or lieutenant commander earns a gold oak leaf while a lieutenant colonel or commander gets a silver oak leaf. Also, oak leaves, acorns and sprigs comprise different arrangements for each branch of the service.

The oak is an important tree, providing housing, food, and protection for birds and animals. Many different species of oak trees can be found all over.

Just like the oak, fathers also provide housing, food and protection, not for birds and animals but for their children and spouses.

For many men, the strength and longevity of the oak is something to which they aspire. Just as oaks need to be strong and majestic, fathers -- along with wives – need to withstand the storms of life and thrive and grow for the sake of the family.

Like acorns under an oaks canopy, a father must watch as its vulnerable offspring learn to put down roots and thrive on their own.

In his epic work Self Reliance, writer Ralph Waldo Emerson artfully captured the comparison between a father and an oak and subsequently, a parent and a child.

“Is the acorn better than the oak which is its fullness and completion?,” Emerson wrote. “Is the parent better than the child into whom he has cast his ripened being?”

For those who understand the strength and longevity of a father, an oak stands as a symbol familiar and fully alive, no matter what the age of the child.

Honor your father with a floral arrangement from Embark Floral that can be shipped anywhere in the world. Call us at 713-468-2440 or go to www.embarkfloral.com