Honouring fatherhood today

TODAY is the day much of the world celebrates fathers.

Some might need reminding about the day because, unlike Mothers Day, which is pushed a lot harder commercially with advertisements bombarding us and retailers and restaurants offering all manner of sales and discounts aimed at women who play a mothering role, Fathers Day tends to be quieter and less prominent.

But then, it is only in recent decades that a father’s role in his children’s lives began to gain importance.

Previously, he was always the stoic breadwinner whose sole job was to find means to put food on the table and assure shelter for his family.

But a father does much more than that, we’ve discovered.

For one thing, fathers play a critical role in shaping the development and minds of their children. This is not just an assumption but statistically and scientifically proven in many studies conducted by researchers over the years – a father figure helps to shape the lives of children.

The relationship between a father and child affects every stage and development of his or her life. Research shows that fathers who are involved in raising their children produce kids with higher IQs and better physical and cognitive skills.

Fathers are just as important as mothers in the impact they have on children, inspiring ambitions and being a role model that forges a lifetime connection.

It was an inspiring father that led to the creation of this celebration.

At the turn of the last century, Sonora Smart Dodd, while listening to a Mothers Day sermon, realised that she wanted a day in which she could honour her father, widowed American Civil War veteran William Jackson Smart, who raised her and five younger brothers alone on a remote farm in America.

Local churches and community organisations supported the idea and the first celebration was held in 1910 in her hometown. The idea grew to become nationally endorsed by various American presidents and then spread globally as businesses began to realise it was another opportunity for sales.

But beyond the overt commercialisation of the day, we should remember to honour fatherhood and the bond with this important man in our lives.

And if the Covid-19 pandemic has kept us apart, it’s about time we reconnect, remembering the moments we’ve shared with him, the little things he taught us and, most of all, how he has impacted and shaped our life.

Happy Fathers Day, everyone.