For many of us who don’t have fathers we’ve probably never bothered to find out what this event actually stems from. I imagine with amusement, those who do have fathers, are equally perplexed. So rather than a piece of advice, I’d like to celebrate this year’s Father’s Day by revealing what’s behind it and why I believe it is of great significance for everyone.
According to Wikipedia today’s concept of Father’s Day sprouted from, “The Eastern Orthodox Church, who created the Sunday of the Forefathers to commemorate the ancestors of Christ according to the flesh, starting with Adam and emphasising the patriarch Abraham, to whom God said,
In thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed
— Genesis 12:3, 22:18
Blimey, a lot to live up to then. But on a serious note, this locks on the crucial state that men who become fathers must bear: responsibility
Its very abnegation may be the reason some men grow up without fathers in the first place, but when honoured, is what makes of a good father.
For the lucky sons giving out cards, hugs and liquor to their dads this Sunday, remember their burden of responsibility to you, and the sacrifices they’ve made to honour it. For the rest of us, and for my part, I’m going to honour the day by speaking to the person (my mum) who bore the responsibility twice-over, and will essentially celebrate her second-Mother’s day! Maybe you can do the same or give a thought to the dad-substitutes who’ve helped you along the way.
We should also take a moment to think of how we can shoulder more responsibility either for ourselves or if we have kids, and lead others by example in a concerning age of increasing unaccountability.
I hope you enjoyed today’s post and are already looking forward to the next one. Feel free to leave a comment below, share your experience, or even make a suggestion for a future post.
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