Celebrating the Unsung Heroes: A Father's Day Tribute

Celebrating the Unsung Heroes: A Father's Day Tribute

Father’s day is not just a date in the diary Dads are unknown heroes, these support systems who are a bulwark in tough times, silent warriors fighting battles we will never know, a straight plank of wood holding the ragged frame of the universe steady, with never a word.

It begins in childhood. From the very first steps: do I see him there, or is that just my imagination? The silliest of questions: what is that? Fathers are the keepers of perilous, sleepless nights: where is the oblivion, and what are the roots of my pain, and is there really a lullaby I can sing that will make away this fever? He shows us that our individual lives matter, and how we can stand up for the needs of others. He will feed you, clothe you, and he will open the world for you, taking you everywhere. And, most meaningfully, he will help you learn how to deal with yourself. From the very first waking moment, a father teaches the art of persistence and tolerance; the integration of all unreleased suffering, and the first explanation of disintegrated pain. He teaches the discipline of managing sleep, and what one should expect in its absence.

The father never ceases to be a father as we move further into life, he becomes a father-mentor, a father- coach offering stories of his own hardships while listening to ours, a father-mentor offering insights and perspective, a father-mentor who shares the right word of encouragement or the straightest of advice rolling through a father’s steady hand and warm or stern heart.

Father’s Day is a good opportunity to say thanks to the dads – not that you need a holiday to do that. However you’re marking Father’s Day this year, take a moment to celebrate the fathers you know. Celebrate the fathers who spend their lives working hard to provide us with things we need – guys who defer their own dreams so that ours can come to fruition. Celebrate the fathers who shape us into good citizens and teach us, by personal example, that physical strength alone is not the same as emotional fortitude, and that standing your ground in the face of a storm is good for the soul.

Dear all the fathers, grandfathers, stepfathers and father-figures… Thank you for all your patience, your love, your presence…Being a role-model, protector, a friend, is in my opinion the highest, most important quality that a man may possess, and you are the best of it, I carry your love with me from this day forward.

Let’s not just bring gifts, but also express our thanks. The most simple ‘thank you’ can be the best present a father can have. Let’s spend time together, eat together, talk about our best memories and create new ones. Because those are the things that are the best expressions of regard and appreciation of those great and wonderful fathers who give so much to our lives.

Happy Father’s Day to all you wonderful dads! You bring unity to our families, and I’d be nothing without your love!