Parenthood is among the most difficult and most rewarding responsibilities in life. Balancing countless demands, parents must be firm yet loving, protective yet liberating. They are the nurturers of our dreams and the soothers of our fears. They instill in their children, by word and example, the importance of family and community involvement, the value of education and hard work.

Parenting is a serious responsibility. All parents have an obligation to provide for the children they bring into the world. Parents must teach and sustain, helping to empower each new generation to meet the challenges and opportunities of life with confidence.

Today, across our country, parents give their time and energy to ensure a better future for their children. Teaching the lessons of honesty and caring in a way that no school or government can, America's parents pass on the spirit, values, and traditions that have made our Nation strong for more than two centuries. Whether stepparents or foster parents, biological or adoptive, parents provide the security, stability, and love that enable children to grow up healthy, happy, and strong.

Parents' Day is a welcome opportunity to celebrate the special and powerful bond between parent and child. On this occasion, let us remember and pay respect to those who give us the daily support and loving guidance that lead us to become responsible and contributing citizens.

Now, Therefore, I, William J. Clinton, President of the United States of America, in accordance with Public Law 103-362, do hereby proclaim Sunday, July 23, 1995, as "Parents' Day." I invite the States, communities, and the people of the United States to observe this day with appropriate ceremonies and activities expressing gratitude and abiding affection for parents.

In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this twenty-first day of July, in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred and ninety-five, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and twentieth.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON