Fathers often get delegated to a supporting role, and they accept that role without complaint.
So it is time to celebrate them.
Yes, they often work too hard or too late. But they do so for us.
They scold us and they ground us, but they are just trying to ensure that we become the best people we can be.
They give us chores and act as taskmasters, but they are just trying to instill a work ethic to help us succeed in life.
They harp on grades and ask tough questions, but that is to ensure that we are sharp and intelligent, and have every advantage in life.
They are also our cheerleaders in the stands, the strong arms that hug us when we are hurt and the encouragement we need to know that we can succeed at anything we put our minds to.
They are role models — examples of what decent, fair, hard-working people should be.
They are pillars of strength that we know always have our backs.
They are sage advice when we find ourselves floundering.
They are protectors who shield us from all they can for as long as they can.
They are all these things, and more. Yet we sometimes forget, or fail to see, all they do for us. Yet, if we try to imagine our lives without them, or who we would be today if they had not been in our lives, it becomes apparent: Dad is a crucial, driving force who deserves to get some notice, and some support, once in a while.
So let's take time today, and more often, to thank and honor Dad. Let's recognize him for all he does, and all he did, to make us who we are. Let's appreciate the big things, but also the little things that maybe we didn't notice at the time.
Thank you, fathers, for taking on that role that is so crucial and essential.
Happy Fathers' Day.
