Sunday, June 19, 2011

Father’s Day what it means to you



In my time in the Philippines  as a teenager in 1960’s and 1970’s there is NO SUCH thing as celebration of FATHER’S DAY. It was only after the 70’s that FATHER’s DAY celebration was adopted in the Philippines …

A caption from Wikipedia;

“Six years later, the day was made a permanent national holiday when President Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972.[3][4]In addition to Father's Day, International Men's Day is celebrated in many countries on November 19 for men and boys who are fathers.

Father’s Day, in the Philippines this holiday changed was only celebrated due to American influence which had been adopted as a law in the US congress . Since its very popular  so its being followed on the third sunday of June.

What is Father’s Day for me and what it means to you ?;  I think of my father and what he had contributed to my being a person, now an adult person, married and me as a father. I accepted my father for what he is and what he had provided me until i had my own family. He is a good provider for my needs and the family that is how he shows love for the family.  But he had limitations which i hardly accepted before. He is not showy of his affection with his family up to the extent of not having communications with his children. This limitations was not also his fault, its the kind of upbringing and influence he had with his parents and society as a whole. The limitations had intrique me and pushed me to look for answers outside of the family.

Fathering for me means  doing the responsibility of taking care of your childrens needs not only with finances and material things. There is also that need of having good communication, good rapport and understanding and unity amongs the family. A message sent to me by my best friend befits what father is;

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“PAG  TATAY KA, walang LOG OUT, walang PAUSE, walang STOP, walang DAY OFF, walang SAHOD , mas lalong di pwede  ang MAG RESIGN . pwede kang MAMILI NG ASAWA di ka pwedeng  MAMILI NG ANAK , dahil ang pagiging AMA, HABANG BUHAY NG KONTRATA “
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In Fathering there is NO LOG OUT, NO PAUSE, NO DAY OFF, NO SALARY , you cannot resign, YOU CAN CHOOSE ANOTHER WIFE but YOU COULD NOT CHOOSE your CHILDREN and Fathering is a contract a lifetime one.


Fathering is not only the individuals concern as a father because society as well as economy and government has a big role in  fathering or parents upbringing for a better family and society. How can a poor family with less resources have a good father.  He could have the best intentions, the effort, the strenght , the spirit of being a father but when he does not have the means like lifetime job  On every  Father’s Day , he is always praised  for his dedication , his role being on the pedestal and just that but not seeing and recognizing or the will to correct the limitations and the support mechanisms (society, economy and government) can do. Father’s Day becomes an ordinary day and a fun day , its a business day. Its a different Father’s Day for everybody and different for every family.