What is a father?
With Father’s Day coming up this Sunday it’s worthwhile taking a look at what a father is and what the day represents.
Father’s and Mother’s Day can be two of the most confusing days of the year for someone without a mum or dad.
I’ve lost a mother twice in my life which makes Father’s Day all the more important for me.
My biological mother left before I was one and I have no memories of her from then; the woman who became the most real mother I’ve ever known passed away when I was 23.
But through all those years, my dad was there for every sports game, every day I stayed home from school sick, and supported me as I tried to learn what being an adult really means.
With Father’s Day rapidly approaching, and the torrent of emotions that come with it, I feel that it’s important to remember that the day is to show your appreciation for your father.
But that shouldn’t mean the day can’t be celebrated by all.
A father may be your biological dad, but it can also be a role model, a mother that’s had to do it all, an uncle that’s taken you under their wing, or even a father-in-law who treats you like he does his own children.
With so much commercialism shoved down our throats this time of year, it’s important to remember that these people aren’t just ‘fathers’ on the first Sunday in September.
That’s not to say that you shouldn’t be getting a gift for your father, it’s more to say that you have 364 other days that you can celebrate them as well.
Smiles, “thank yous”, visits, cooking for them, even just being you, are all ways that you can make them feel like they have done a great job and often those are the things that they will remember at the end of the day.
