POLOKWANE – On Sunday, 8 May, those of us who had forgotten about the significance of the day, woke up to Facebook and WhatsApp messages of children wishing their mothers a happy Mother’s Day.
Some of the messages were enduring and heartfelt, while others read like a Hallmark card.
Sunday 19 June, it is the fathers’ turn. The only difference is that our Facebook feeds will not be filled with heartfelt messages of gratitude because the role of the father is often taken for granted or not filled at all. I have many friends who were not raised with the help of their fathers and I am sad for them. They have missed out on what it is like to have your own super hero.
Need the stove fixed? Call dad. Your car won’t start? Call dad. Need a quick interest-free loan? Just call dad. And it is for this reason, and many more, that I am hard on those friends who neglect their role as fathers.
Fathers are the glue that keep the family together. Apart from getting things fixed, they also give sound advice, especially about relationships, and they have the ability to make you feel better in a way mom can’t. Every year without fail, there are always bitter women who go on social media and wish themselves a happy Father’s Day. Although I try not to judge them I can’t help but wonder why they do not use the opportunity to thank the men in their lives who help them raise their children.
It is undoubtedly not easy to raise a child alone, but if the father of the child(ren) does not give a hand, surely those who do need to be acknowledged? Instead, women choose to pat only themselves on the back.
So let me take this opportunity to say thank you to all the men who are helping to raise children, whether the kids are their own or not. Thank you for all the piggy back rides and the bedtime stories, for changing all those nappies like a champ, and for the cookies; even though they were burnt.
