I never really gave Father’s Day much thought growing up. In my opinion, it was really just an accompaniment to Mother’s Day. My mother would always get a present; flowers, pictures, or breakfast in bed. One year, I even gave her a stapled copy of all my good grades with a note that read “Thank you for the great genes.” My father, though, rarely received a gift, let alone one built on such hubris and ego. He got a card, bought the night before in a rush, and always a big hug. But Father’s Day was never given the same seriousness or appreciation that Mother’s Day inherently had.In truth, Father’s Day really is an accompaniment to Mother’s Day. In 1910, Sonora Smart Dodd of Spokane, Washington thought of the idea for Father’s Day after listening about the newly recognized Mother’s Day. Miss Dodd became an active proponent of Father’s Day and tried to spread it nationwide. But the idea did not take off with the same panache that Mother’s Day had. It wasn’t until 1972 that the holiday was finally signed into law.It wasn’t until I became a father of twins this year that my relationship with father’s day quickly transformed. Father’s Day all of a sudden became an important and exciting holiday. Since the day they were born (they are now four months old), I have been looking forward to spending Father’s Day with my twins. And I don’t really care about a gift (but I wouldn’t mind one either). A simple hug would be a great enough. Our role as children is quickly transformed when we become parents ourselves. We grow a greater appreciation for what our parents have done for us, knowing full well how hard it is to raise a child (or two). And so, perhaps it’s a little late, but Happy Father’s Day to my dad and to all the fathers out there.
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