Fathers’ Day Celebration: Cut Our Dad’s Some Slack

By – Gloria Godwin

Father’s Day is a day set specially to honor Father’s and paternal bonds, their influences in the society and their sacrifices to their families. Father’s Day is celebrated at different times of the year by different times of the year by different countries of the world but it is mostly celebrated on the third Sunday of June. Some countries ‘’glamourized father’s by declaring the day a public holiday.

The celebration of Father’s Day reminds us of the importance and challenges of fatherhood. Fathers don’t always enjoy the praises and admiration we give our mothers. They are culturally perceived to be the bread winners, disciplinarians, authority figure and all that’s strict and boring.

Traditionally, our culture especially in Africa has put fathers into a very difficult role. They must buttoned-up but yet intimate. Fathers are expected also to bring the money home and are also compelled to be around at all times. Beside father has to be loving but yet a disciplinarian. Most fathers feel the weight of their responsibilities, yet they have to wear a smile and not show it.

Sadly, with all fathers have to go through, they do not get the accolade they deserve. For instance, a father buys diapers for at least two years non-stop but this does not count as much for him because he did not go through the labour pain with the mother (of which he did emotionally). Not to talk about baby food, clothes, school fees, bills in the house… the list is endless.

The sacrifices of fathers is something to be mentioned and immensely appreciated. The father is the driver to school, market and the park, the plumber when there is a leakage in the kitchen pipe, the electrician when the light has issues, the gardener when the surrounding is bushy… you mention it.

As we mark this year’s Father’s Day think about the sacrifices of love these men have made over the years and appreciate them. Fathers should as well celebrate themselves as the saying goes ‘’fatherhood is a marathon, not a sprint”. Happy Father’s Day to every biological father, foster father, do-it-all fathers, have lost a child father, stand-in fathers, brand new fathers, ‘longing to be a father’ fathers, and trying their best fathers. You rock!

-Gloria Godwin is a  Mass communications student at Plateu State University Nigeria