In June every year, the US celebrates Father’s Day to honor fathers, who take care of their families and contribute so much for their growth. Father’s Day was first celebrated in 1910 in Spokane, Washington, after the prevailing efforts of a young girl named Sonora Dodd. Sonora was raised by her father alone after her mother died. When Sonora heard a sermon on Mother’s Day, this young girl thought fathers too deserve to be recognized for their efforts and that a day should be declared as Father’s Day in their honor. So, it all started because one little girl thought, it is important to celebrate fathers efforts and spread across the world.
Fathers contribute so much in the lives of their children and family. With guidance from father, young kids learn to gain strength in facing the world to reach their best. Sometimes it may be difficult to appreciate father’s role in raising a family, how despite working so hard and not keeping much to himself, an ordinary father gives rise to such great sons and daughters? What a great father Karam Chand Gandhi must have been to present the nation and the world, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi who become the Father of the Nation? He was a loving father when the child was unable to grasp right from wrong, he made him realize what truth is and elevated him to reach the heights of humanity. Fathers of empathy with their willingness to train their children, guide them, mentor them and pay the ultimate price till the end, of breathing the last breath and reaching Him. When the baby is taking its first steps, father is elated, and when the baby utters the first words, dada or papa or nana or baaba, father’s happiness has no bounds.
It is a great thing to be a father, because that is when they see their own creation in flesh and blood and love them immensely.
Sometimes, it is also the child that teaches a mom or a dad. When the darling child is sleeping in the arms of its papa, it will be too difficult for the father to remove them off of their chest and rest them on the bed or crib. They wait until the child is so sound asleep that it will not wake up and get disturbed. Child teaches them to be patient and more understanding of the needs of their offspring.
When a child is ill with fever or wheezing, fathers rush them to the doctor, give them needed care and may just carry them in arms all night long, without the worrying about having to attend meetings the next day or teach or attend the office or design bridges and have them constructed or do whatever that they do for their living. He does all this and also takes care of the home.
When the mom is ill, it is once again father to the rescue, in single families. He kneads flour, makes bread, cooks meals, makes the home spic and span, and yet he attends to his work without even so much as a complaint, especially when the kids are young.
This kind father does not remain young and able all the while. He, the invincible hero in the eyes of his kids, does grow old. He reaches his time, and kids should remember, it is not always possible for the dad to be active and alert as always.
He might grow old, unable to recognize even his own kids, and may become dependent on others for every little thing. Like a cycle, life goes on and the grand child develops a bond with the grand dad, and reaches a full circle.
I remember listening to my dad when he spoke, “talking to others is like a penance”. It is not right to raise voice and lose temper with parents, especially to mom. If one cannot control their temper because the other person is testing their nerves, they have to remember their temper should not be affected by others but by their own thinking. One can control their own thinking and not lose balance, because it is ones own attitude that one can control. He would always tell us the saying from Swamy Dayanand Saraswathi ji, “Satyam bruyath, Priyam bruyath; Na bruyath satyam apriyam”.
When I think about talking in a pleasing manner, as the sayings of the Swamy Dayanand Saraswathi ji, I recall in May 2012, there was a special visit by a very well known singer to Houston, TX, Dr. Ghazal Srinivas. He presented Houstonians with his melodious music that was almost divine in nature. Dr. Ghazal Srinivas garu was singing with a message, “Devalayo Rakshati, Rakshitah,” meaning ‘Temples protect, when protected’. He sang many compositions about the theme, but the best part of it was the song about Dad. Dad is not given his due love either in families or in culture and society, mother taking that place! However, dad’s place is irreplaceable especially in guiding and making the children socially responsible and raising them as good citizens. When a dad is raising the baby into the air and holding it, he is not only raising the baby but also raising it above himself, so he can be a greater person than himself. When Dr. Ghazal Srinivas was singing this song, I was so much touched that one of the member from the audience asked me if I remembered my dad. I said, “yes indeed”. It was just this year in February that my father reached the Divine Father, and until I heard that song, I never realized that when the parents are raising the child into the air and holding them, it is because they want to see their child in higher position than themselves. It was an eye opener regarding the sentiments about father. The amount of happines Dr. Ghazal Srinivas was showing was greatest when he let his daughter take the stage and present us with her melody. He is a proud father, training his daughter to reach heights with a sound foundation of classical music. He stands tall as an exemplar to this society.
Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there, who are doing their best!
- Uma Pochampally