Thank You, Dad

“When I see you, I see you holding the hands of that little girl who was unable to walk. I see you carrying her weight on your shoulders when she was sound asleep.

I see you playing with her even though your eyes were screaming for sleep. I see your soft side behind that rigid exterior. I see that smile on your face when she liked that bicycle you gifted her, on her 13th birthday.

I see you being so patient even when she was being unreasonable. I see you being her place of refuge when the whole world turned against her. I see you being her shoulder when she needed to cry.

I see you guiding her towards the most beautiful things in life. I see you giving up your dreams so that she could chase hers. I see you giving her everything you didn’t have growing up.

I see you working long hours just so she could fulfill all her dreams. I see you shaping her into the woman she is today, and lastly, I see you see your entire world in her.

I know that I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor, friend or father. THANK YOU, DAD!

If only these 26 letters of the alphabet could articulate the amount of love, respect, and gratitude I have for you.

Thank you for holding my hand when I was afraid. Thank you for safely tucking me into bed every night. Thank you for all the nights you stayed up when I was feeling anxious.

Thank you for fulfilling all my desires even without me asking. Thank you for raising me the way you did. Thank you for protecting me at all costs.

Thank you for helping me grow as a person. Thank you for being the very foundation of my being. Thank you for all your nurturing, for all your kindness, for all your love, for all your hard work and dedication.

A big thank you for all the things you have done and still continue doing till today. I will be forever grateful.

Every memory we created together is forever etched into my heart and will be cherished throughout my life. No words will do justice to how I actually feel, but you must remember my love, for it will always last. You make my world a better place. You are always loved!“

~ Your Daughter

I assume most of you are aware that Father’s Day is around the corner. Keeping the occasion in mind, I thought of putting this letter to my father out there and make you all emo. For those who didn’t know, REMINDER – 21st June 2020 i.e. Sunday is Father’s Day in India, so brace yourselves and get ready to shower your dad with all the love, affection, and admiration he deserves. 

Why Do We Even Need A Father’s Day? What Is Its Significance?

There is a whole group of people who feel the idea of separately taking out a day and celebrating it as “father’s day” pointless and unnecessary because obviously “We don’t need one day to define the relationship with our fathers” or “Every day should be a father’s day” or “But what about the rest 364 days?” 

This is a whole set of arguments put forward by these people and while I agree on some points; I also feel it’s necessary to know the whole picture or shall I say, the larger perspective before forming an opinion. 

I have seen people reducing the whole significance of Father’s Day into performing meaningless gestures disguised as a token of appreciation or merely just a show for putting all those stories and posts on your social media. Following this, yes, we can argue that is Father’s Day really a day to celebrate fatherhood, or is it just some another meaningless drama? Are we really appreciating our fathers through heartfelt homages or are we hiding our affection behind those expensive gifts?

Giving and receiving gifts can honestly make us ecstatic and there’s nothing wrong in it but remember unless they are not backed up by real or genuine feelings, they are just a materialistic entity that lacks any emotion.  

Apart from spoiling our dads with these annual presents which I am totally in support of because he deserves it all; it is also very important to take out a few minutes from our lives, sit down with him, pour your hearts out and tell him you love and appreciate him. Make it a habit to tell your loved ones how you feel about them, talk to them about their feelings, ask them how their day was, keep a check on them and make them feel all special and giddy because life is too short to dwell on other unimportant things.

This brings us back to our main point that is Father’s Day still matters and now, more than ever. The two main objectives behind celebrating any special day is first to raise awareness about any cause or ideal and secondly, to show our appreciation to the relevant people.

 Father’s Day is celebrated to honor the fatherhood, paternal bonds, and influence of a father figure on our lives. It matters because it is important to take out a day, reflect and express gratitude for the relationship between a father and a child. 

It will always matter and remain crucial in our society since it serves as a reminder, a reminder to take out a day from the hectic schedules and actually show some appreciation by spending some time together (if possible), by giving gifts (if affordable) or in general, just reminding each other of the beautiful, irreplaceable and divine bond that exists between a parent and children.

History And Origins Of Father’s Day

While Father’s Day at present is all about gifting and loving your father, it was not the case 100 years back since Father’s Day has a very long and controversial history. So, what exactly is Father’s Day and how was it originated?

Father’s Day was not officially celebrated by countries outside the catholic traditions until the beginning of the 20th century. Mother’s Day preceded Father’s Day when it was celebrated in the 1860s and paved the way for Father’s Day. In America, it was first celebrated in 1908 on the third Sunday of June whereas, in many European countries, Father’s Day is observed on March 19 as Saint Joseph’s Day.

The history of Father’s Day goes back to 1908 when a church in West Virginia conducted a sermon to honor 362 men who were killed in a coal-mine explosion the previous year. This marked the country’s first attempt and effort to strictly honor fathers but it was a one-time thing. 

In the same year, a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd who was raised by a single father and strictly believed that fathers should be treated the same way as mothers; started to press for the demand for establishing Father’s Day as a national holiday.

After consistently petitioning for a year her request was approved by the local government and her native state i.e. Washington D.C celebrated its first official father’s day on 19 June 1910. Sooner and later, it spread throughout different parts of the country and after consistent efforts and a long fight, it was finally declared a national holiday in 1972. President Nixon signed it and it became a law.

Between the birth of the idea of celebrating father’s day to the actual declaration of it as a federal holiday, there were a whole lot of developments that took place. According to historical sources, the idea of father’s day was very much debatable and in the 1920s to 1930s and there were also wide protests to get rid of both ‘father’s day’ and ‘mother’s day’ and replace it with ‘parent’s day.’ 

Every year on father’s day and mother’s day pro parents day groups would rally around the streets of New York as a public reminder demanding the scraping of both these holidays. “Both parents should be loved and respected together,” one pro- parent’s day activist was quoted as saying.

 Many men themselves declared the rejection of such a day considering it as an attempt to undermine their masculinity or just another gimmick for commercial purposes. Ironically, The Great Depression derailed these efforts to de-commercialize these holidays by making attempts to elevate father’s day to the position of “a second Christmas” and marketing gifts like neckties, hats, tobacco, cigarettes, hats, greeting cards, etc. for men. 

The attempt to get the bill approved that will formally recognize father’s day was already defeated two times in Congress. In 1966, President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the formal proclamation honoring fathers by announcing the Third Sunday in June as the official Father’s Day. Six years later, President Richard Nixon made it a national holiday in the year 1972.

Father’s Day Celebration In India 

Father’s day is celebrated on different dates around the globe but in India, it is usually celebrated on the third Sunday of June every year. Similarly, this year it will fall on 21st June and it is not a public holiday in India. 

Given the current global situation when the novel coronavirus is rapidly spreading and stringent social distancing norms are imposed globally; it will be best to celebrate it at home. This can actually prove to be brownie points since you will get a lot of time to prepare the surprises or gifts you’re planning for your daddy cool, beforehand. Also, you will be able to spend a complete day with your father doing fun activities or just by being there for him. 

This year the kind of celebration would be totally different since we are not allowed to go out for dinners or host large parties or basically anything which requires mass gathering. Keeping the current situation in mind, I am listing 3 last-minute plans you can pull off last minute if you haven’t decided yet what to do. These things do not require heavy efforts but are sure to leave a big bright smile on the face of your father. 

BREAKFAST IN BED

This will be such a kick start to the special day since he will wake up with a smile and a tray full of all his favorite eatables. What could be more luxurious than eating your favorite meal in the comfort of your bed? 

All you need to do is make a list of everything your father likes, you can also check those cooking tutorials online and make the scrumptious meal which is going to definitely make his day. 

If you want to go all extra and cook him a three-course meal, do it. Put in your extra effort because he deserves it. This breakfast in bed idea is surely going to make him wake up early, so put on your aprons and get right into it.

MOVIE MARATHON WITH FAM

Never underestimate the power of a movie night with your family, in my opinion, it is honestly one of the best ways to end your father’s day celebration on a positive note.

 Movies are a great source of entertainment and correct me if I am wrong but movie nights at home hits so different and I’d choose it over the traditional cinema experience any day.

To specially modify it according to the occasion, curate a list of family-friendly movies which suits everyone’s taste because you don’t want someone to constantly nag about the film, right? There are many lists available online which can give you a fair idea or if you’re a really good kid you can ask your father his favorite’s from the golden era and you all can binge watch some classic cinema too. The possibilities are endless and it hardly requires any major effort.

MAKE A VIDEO MESSAGE

This one’s a particularly great idea if you are physically not there with your family. Due to the lockdown, this trend has shown increasing popularity wherein people make short clips of people who can be your family members, friends, relatives giving some heartwarming wishes or anything they’d like to say and you combine those clips together and make one single video.

Since collecting videos from everyone requires constant demanding till you really get them, you can just make a short video of all the pictures and memories you have with your dad, edit, and send it to him. 

It can be a great way of reminding him that you think of him and no amount of distance can push you apart. Video-making is nowadays a very easy and quick experience given the availability of so many free apps and you won’t be needing those furnished editing skills since this is just one short vid for your dad. Because in the end, it all comes down to your feelings. 

Conclusion

This father’s day I’d also like to tell those fathers who have lost children; children who have lost fathers; those with strained father relationships; fathers with strained child relationships, those mothers who also play the role of a father; I recognize you and I am thinking of you.

Life is very uncertain. Make sure you love and appreciate the people around you. Never take a moment for granted, express gratitude, spend time with your near and dear ones. Never leave a chance to throw that “I love you” on people you actually love.

Surround yourselves with your people because life goes faster than you think with no rewind and no replay option. So, be grateful and appreciate every moment as it comes.

Featured images, Courtesy – Canva

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