The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
A FATHER is someone that one looks up to no matter how tall, and their greatest mark is how well they treat their children when no one is looking.
Fatherhood is therefore, not just about being able to conceive and sire children, it is about being there when they grow up, giving them dreams and making sure they don’t remain dreams but shape them into reality.
And perhaps with that in mind, the world dedicated 20th of June 2021 as a day to celebrate and honour the fathers who are devoted to the families and continue to play their essential roles in nurturing their children.
On this day we honour the fatherhood and paternal bond in both the family and society. You may always remember dad as the strongest man on this planet — he could piggyback carry you all the way home from school, always beat you in the football game, and did all the heavy lifting in the household. But as years go by, despite still being the strongest man in one’s life in more sense than one, he still remains a hero in many a children’s lives. Today go all out to appreciate our fathers and the father figures or male role models in our lives.
Finding the best Father’s Day gifts and celebrating your dad is even more important than ever before, so even during such trying times of the Covid-19 pandemic, those small surprises, that breakfast in bed or a homemade card would mean a lot to him.
Whether he’s the type of dad that has everything and more, Father’s Day is almost always the best time to get them to indulge in something they would otherwise avoid.
This could be an extravagant new wardrobe essential, a self-care product or even just sticking to the “grown up” gifts and upgrading their home appliances.
And, while a bottle of cologne or a shiny pair of sunglasses can’t make up for lost time, they can certainly show your loved one how much you love them.
This year, Father’s Day like so many other occasions, takes place in the shadow of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which continues to keep many people apart from their loved ones.
Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, most fathers who are essential workers have also grappled with a unique set of challenges as they balance the needs of their jobs and the safety of their families.
It has been a rough ride for most dads, who had to face deaths, tragedies, calamities, political conflicts, and diseases one after the other. Some have even gone to the extent of calling this cruel stretch as the worst year, what with all the sufferings that it has given.
The situation has required other fathers to stay at home to contain the spread of the virus. However, there are still a lot of male workers required to go to work — the front liners. And some of these front liners are fathers.
As we celebrate this year’s Father’s Day, let us appreciate fathers who are braving the coronavirus disease pandemic to be able to provide for their families.
After a long day at work and family time at home, dad craves to have his own special space where he can recharge, rethink, relax and be himself. He longs for a quiet retreat where he can plunk down on a sofa, chill out with a drink, and unwind.
Let us pay tribute to our fathers, post throwback pictures from their childhoods, share some of the good memories you have had with them and make it a day worth remembering for the rest of the days, months and years to come.
Show your dads how their relationship melts your heart and how they are the centre of your world.
As we adore and appreciate our fathers, today let us celebrate the fathers who have been “monsters” before, but have changed and are now a pleasant presence to those around them, your journey towards being better fathers renews hope in humanity.
Take time to thank your dad for the love, guidance, and unrelenting dad jokes. As becoming a father can be one of the proudest moments in a man’s life because entering the world of parenthood is a fulfilling experience.
Although fathers are usually regarded as secondary caregivers, since mothers do most of the work in raising children, they also make significant contributions in taking care of the family as a whole. Today, fathers are in for a treat as the country joins several other nations from across the globe in celebrating Father’s Day.
While mothers are usually the favourites when it comes to being spoiled and showered with gifts, today families are honouring their fathers.
I believe that God gives us the greatest example of a father’s love. His love is sacrificial, patient, kind, humble, honest, forgiving, faithful, and selfless. It is constant and unchanging.
Those are the things fathers are meant to provide as “A man cannot be a father without the love of a son/ daughter”.
Fathers, like mothers, are pillars in the development of a child’s emotional well-being. Hence, let us appreciate those fathers who are affectionate and supportive.
In this 21st century take things a bit further this Father’s Day, take it to social media to show your love for your papas and other halves. Here are some of the cutest tags to create #most amazing daddy #best example for our son/s #best father daughter/s moments #my hero # my dad the grandfather of my children #our shield #my superman among others.
From us, we would like to extend our gratitude to the hardworking fathers, uncles, grandfathers, dads-to-be, brothers, fathers-in-law, single dads, and those we consider father figures around the world. We wish you all, a happy Father’s Day!
