Sometimes all it takes it a “feeling” for someone to know they’re loved.

The youngest of seven children, Janene Gaffan admits that it wasn’t anything in particular that her father, James Robert Gaffan, did.

“Just being ‘daddy’s little girl’ was enough for me,” she says.

One of her fondest memories of her father’s caring and generosity, she says, is of a particular Christmas when, after all the presents had been given out and opened, she was a little upset to find the watch she’d been dreaming of not among them.

“The next day, he went out and picked one up for me,” she recalls. “He said, ‘Santa must have forgotten to put it under the tree’.”

Making sure he knew how important he was to her was an everyday thing for Janene.

“When I was younger, I always made him something home-made for Father’s Day,” she explains.

An immigrant from Malta, Mr. Gaffan became relatively well known in their small town of Kingsville, Ontario — he was mayor for two terms — and for many years he held three jobs in order to provide for his large family, and to this day he’s still going strong.

“I am proud of my Dad,” Janene says. “And I hope that I make him proud with the things that I do.”