Appreciating Our Fathers

This Father’s Day, take some time to appreciate him. Throughout this month, we are taking time to honour dads. We live in a culture that celebrates and adores mums, with little acknowledgement or appreciation for fathers. Stories are told of how strict and autocratic some dads were in the 70s’and ’80s. If kids were in the living room and they heard dad opening the gate, they would disappear and cower out of fear.

That was the perception of a father, a man who disciplined and instilled fear because that is what they probably learnt from their own fathers. This could be a reason why dads rarely get the appreciation they deserve.

Come the ’90s and early 2000s, times began to change, a different generation of dads came about, dads who were more diplomatic, open and in touch with their emotions.

It’s time to change the narrative that dads don’t need to be appreciated, acknowledged or even cherished. This Father’s Day, surprise dad with a wholesome meal made with Rinsun. If he likes Ugali, Sukuma Wiki and beef make that for him or surprise him with a cake prepared with Prestige Margarine.

Special moments like these will go a long way in making dads feel appreciated, which is how Father’s Day actually begun. It was first proposed by Sonora Dodd in 1909 who wanted to honour her dad. Her father, William Jackson Smart was a civil war veteran and a single dad who raised his six children.

Sonora lobbied her church and the U.S Government because she wanted a day similar to Mother’s Day that paid tribute to fathers.  A bill to accord national recognition of the holiday was introduced in Congress in 1913 and made official in 1972. And that is the history of Father’s Day, which was ironically initiated by a woman.

Celebrate dad or a father figure this Father’s Day and feel free to leave your comments below.