The ManicaPost
On the third Sunday of every June, fathers from across the world are celebrated.
This year, Father’s Day falls on Sunday the 19th.
While most men feel that the tradition of gift-giving on Father’s Day do not celebrate their masculinity and many people assume that the day was introduced by businesses for the purpose of pressurising families into spending more money by buying ‘unnecessary’ gifts, nothing could be further from the truth.
According to the History Channel, Sonora Smart Dodd, a woman from the United States of America, was the founder of Father’s Day, with the Washington State celebrating the first Father’s Day on June 19, 1910.
Dodd was one of the six children raised by her widowed father.
Her mother had died during the birth of her sixth child. Dodd’s father was therefore the sole provider of the family, ensuring that his family never lacked in any aspect.
Several other fathers are also playing such pivotal roles in their children’s lives.
Most dads work hard to take care of their families by providing for their needs, helping with household chores, and spending time with their children.
While mothers have been recognized as the primary caretakers, times are changing as more women are getting more opportunities in the workplace and fathers are becoming more involved in raising their children rather than primarily focusing on providing for the family.
Research shows that children who have present and loving fathers are more likely to be healthy emotionally, socially, and intellectually.
Even when children encounter challenges in life, having a loving father helps them regulate their behaviour and feelings better than children whose fathers are absent emotionally or physically.
In addition, children who have absent fathers are more likely to engage in risky behaviours due to solitude.
Father’s Day is therefore an opportunity to get fathers the recognition they deserve, as well as honour and appreciate the essence of fatherhood.
It is a time for people to celebrate the men in their lives – be it their biological fathers or any present father-figures.
All of those fathers deserve all the pampering and all the heart-warming words coming their way on Sunday.
While mothers are often perceived as the sentimental ones, fathers also like to hear how much their children love them and why they think their fathers are great.
They like to be the superheroes in the story—the ones who save the day and make their children’s lives better.
But then expressing love is often difficult for most fathers.
Despite that, remember that you’re important to your father and that he loves you, even though he might not always say it.
Nevertheless, at times fathers are not around in their children’s lives for various reasons.
This is why fatherhood can be defined in many ways and not always in the traditional sense. Some men have the pleasure of being a father figure to younger people who may have lost their biological father.
If the biological father has passed or is alive but absent, one can still honour any other man that has positively influenced his or her life (a grandfather, uncle, neighbour, teacher, coach, or pastor) on Father’s Day.
Whether he is your biological father or a father figure who stepped up to fill up the void left by your own father, this coming Sunday is a perfect opportunity to show him your love and appreciation.
Happy Father’s Day folks.
