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| Happy Father's Day??? by Cadi Nobles |
| According to a recent Gallup poll, Father’s Day is the least celebrated of all the recognized holidays in America. While Mother’s Day has the very nice distinction of having more phone calls placed on that day than any other day of the year; Father’s Day stands out among the holidays for a different reason. One that is not nearly so pleasant. It has the sad distinction of having the least phone calls of any holiday. In fact, it is even lower than the average business day. If asked, the average American might tell you that there is no real difference in how they treat their Mother and Father. Sadly, statistics prove them wrong. It’s an odd paradox, isn’t it? Each of us enjoys buying Mom pretty things for Mother’s Day. After all, she brought us into the world, kissed all our scrapes, and cooked us the best meals. She certainly deserves the small amount of gratitude we are able to show her now. Yet, on the other hand, it just doesn’t occur to us to give Dad this type of attention, less than a month later on Father’s Day. Perhaps we’ve been so programmed by a secular society that we have actually come to believe that Dads just don’t want, or even need, any outward show of love or support. Maybe we believe that Fathers are outdated relics of a bygone American idea; not really essential pieces in the “modern” definition of a family. Could it be, that we accept the ideology that dads are simply not useful anymore, and therefore do not deserve to have any of our time or finances wasted in celebration of their “special day?" Let’s face it, in our society, even mentioning that a true home needs both a mother and father is not only politically incorrect, it’s down right rude. The modern culture seems geared to view men as shallows beings that do not feel pain and are incapable of giving true love. We, of course, know that this concept is ridiculous. But what do our children think? If actions really do speak louder than words, we may be in more trouble than we realize. A few weeks ago, millions of fathers all around the country were helping younger kids to plan a surprise for mom, and patiently reminding the older children of the impending arrival of Mother’s Day. But how many women, just one month later, are showing the same courtesy to the men in their lives? In a culture that prides itself on “caring” for every conceivable type of person and personality, we have abandoned our fathers. The month of June comes and goes and we barely give a passing thought to the holiday. When I say “we," I mean just that; I am as guilty as anyone. Up until a couple of years ago, I didn’t consider Father’s Day to be an important holiday, but that all changed when I happened to hear a song entitled “Daddy’s Hands” by Holly Dunn. As the words spoke of the unselfish love that a father gives, I was touched by the truth of the statement. In my own life, I have seen Daddy make sacrifices and deal with difficult situations time and time again. He did not do these things for the praise of men, he made these choices because he is a Christian father, and Christian fathers do what is best for their family. I can’t help but imagine all the millions of dads that will go unnoticed this Father’s Day. Quiet, and reserved, we may never know the pain that our own neglect causes. In all probability, we will not see national news coverage of elderly men setting in nursing homes, crying on Father’s Day because their children never visit. No one will mention the dedicated Dad that works late into the night, yet makes a point to wake up early in the morning to say “I love you” before the kids head to school. Nor will we meet the “business man” that believes being home early enough to play a game of catch before supper, is the most important “appointment” of his day. All across America, dads will be there, doing what God made dads to do. A daughter can feel safe, because Daddy is holding her hand; a son will feel loved, because Daddy understands the trouble that a little boy can get into; and a Mommy will feel blessed, because she has been given a special person that cares just as deeply as she does, for the things that matter most in her life. In a million ways, Daddy will be there to gently remind us that he hasn’t left us or forsaken his place. He may not get a card, receive a gift, or be “privileged” with a phone call; but come Monday morning, Dad will still be Dad. You see; he hasn’t abandoned us; we have abandoned him. |
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