Hope everyone had a great Fathers’ Day – a day to show appreciation for fathers and father figures. Father figures are stepfathers, fathers-in-law, guardians (e.g. foster parents), and family friends.
For those of us whose fathers are no longer with us, this is the day to remember them, reminisce about them and thank them for the contribution they made in your life. I pay tribute to my father every year and thank him for all the sacrifices he made to bring me up. To a great extent it was a joint effort as my mother also made quite a bit of contribution in bringing up their four siblings.
During those days, man was the bread earner while women looked after the kids and the household. Things have slightly changed now when some men have become househusbands. With four kids and dad working for someone, we didn’t have money to splash around, but we were blessed with a good comfortable life. We had good clothes to wear, bikes for all the kids and imported merchandize at home. We even went on holidays every year. Dad worked hard and was a good provider in those days.
That excellent upbringing made us into responsible and outstanding citizens that we are today. Thanks to my parents that three of the four kids went to university, finishing as a journalist, a medical doctor and a biologist.
Kids today easily forget the sacrifices their father or mother has made to bring them up. Whether you remember their contribution or not, one should not forget that without their sacrifices, they would not have achieved what they have attained in life. That not only includes material things but also education and other things such as teaching you good manners, civility and about good and bad.
If one’s father is alive, then I hope you found time to pay tribute to his contribution in your life by taking him for a meal – it could be breakfasts, brunches, lunches or dinners wither at home or in a restaurant. One could even take fathers or father figures out to the movies, the park, the zoo, or another place of interest. By so doing, one is not only paying tribute to him and express your appreciativeness, but also it gives you a chance to bond with him. Many people live busy lives and are too much engrossed with work. That is fine but one has to find time to visit dads and moms.
We should thank our friends in the south – the Americans – who introduced the idea of a special day to honor fathers and celebrate fatherhood. It was a woman, Sonora Smart Dodd, who was inspired by the American Mother’s Day celebrations and planned a day to honor fathers early in the 20th century. According to one source, the first Father’s Day was celebrated in Spokane, Washington on June 19, 1910. Father’s Day and Mother’s Day have become increasingly popular throughout North America and other parts of the world over the years.
Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States mark Father’s Day on the third Sunday in June. Other countries mark Father’s Day on different days. For example, New Zealand Father’s Day is on the first Sunday in September, Thailand on December 5, which is the birthday of the country’s king, and Brazilian dads are honored on the second Sunday of August.
The concept of Father’s Day in India is still new. Residents of metropolitan areas and bigger towns are aware of Father’s Day due to their exposure to western cultures. The sentiment behind Father’s Day is good and there is no doubt that eventually, it will spread to more countries and cultures.
While I reminisce about the good times that I had with my father, I am glad that there is someone in my life who appreciates the part I paid as a father. Whether it was my duty or sacrifice, I am thankful to have made a meaningful contribution in my son’s life.
