Father's Day

It's Father's Day today, the day set apart to honor Fathers all around the country. It's the day fathers receive all kinds of gifts from their children varying from "I love You, Daddy!"mug or teddy bear from a preschooler to gaudy colored tie with sparkling beads from a preteen to a handyman tool from a bell boy son to a paid up vacation from a CEO at pharmaceutical company.

I remember a hillarious episode in the Crosby Show on Father's Day, where Crosby brings out of storage a boxful of Father's Day gifts he had received and one by one pulls out in front of his children. By now the children had grown up to be young adults and when they look at the gaudy silk tie with sparkling beads, the belt with twinkling lights, the flowery cap with a protruding antenna Crosby put on to display, their eyes pop up with unbelief. None of the gifts look useful to their father at any age, but they were given with love and with the allowance they could afford to buy. The father knows it and that's why he has cherished every one of it without casting them away.

That's what the Father's day is all about. It's not the gift you give the father values, but the love with which it is given. Even a word like "I love you Dad!" over the phone or a tender touch of the son or daughter on sick bed would melt even a hardhearted man.

I grew up in a country where no Father's or Mother's Day were celebrated. Because of that I had no chance of writing a Father's Day card or giving my dad a gift on such a special day honoring him. In fact, I never had a chance to give my father a wrapped gift at any time. I was barely eighteen, when my dad passed away so suddenly of heart attack.Unlike here, children never got allowance or worked outside home to earn some money to call their own.

Lack of gift giving didn't mean lack of love, and the parents as well as the children knew that well. Parents expected love, respect and obedience from their children. And the children looked for love, responsiblity, and security from their parents. I didn't grow up telling " I love you Dad" or "I love you Mom" as my children do here. Neither did my mom or dad spelled it out in words that they loved me. I didn't wait to hear from them either, for their care and action spoke much louder than any spoken words.

I was blessed to have a noble, compassionate and a very responsible man as my father, whom I called Pappa. I never grew up hugging, playing or joking with my father as my children do with my husband. It wasn't norm in the culture I grew up at that time. Out of respect, I spoke with my father only when I needed to. I loved him dearly and I'm always so proud to be his daughter. The day he died, I felt as if my world collapsed. I couldn't accept his death for almost an year. I never told him "I love you Pappa!" or gave him a Father's Day gift, but my father knew it well I loved him very much.

On this Father's Day, I like to thank my Heavenly Father who has blessed me with so many good things. I want to thank Him for giving me the best father and giving my children a great dad. The best gifts I can give my Heavenly Father are my obedience, reverence and love. He values my time spent with Him and the talents He had given to be put to good use. Although, I wasn't accustomed to say "I love you" to my earthyly father, I've grown to say "I love You," to my Heavenly Father almost daily.
"Happy Father's Day!" to all those who are blessed be to be dads. Take the blessing seriously and responsibly and you'd never regret it. Your children will thank and remember you forever for the love, discipline, provision and protection, you've given them to have a secured life.