According to research, dads often get the short end of the stick when it comes to being recognized on their day. In fact one recent survey found that if Mother’s Day and Father’s Day were celebrated on the same day, 78% of adult children would acknowledge Mom over Dad.
The people who were surveyed gave a variety of reasons for choosing Mom. Perhaps one reason Mom gets more attention is that she had an official holiday proclaimed 58 years earlier than Dad. Before you get too upset with those people who don’t seem to find fathers as important, consider that early attempts to establish a day honoring men were belittled by those very honorees. According to one historian, men “scoffed at the holiday’s sentimental attempts to domesticate manliness with flowers and gift-giving.”
But should that keep you from honoring Dad?
While letting Dad know that you appreciate him shouldn’t be reserved only for one day of the year, Father’s Day does provide the perfect opportunity to express your love and gratitude to the fathers in your life.
The colorful Jim Valvano once said of his father, “My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person – he believed in me.”
If you have a man in your life who has guided you yet allowed you to forge your own way, believing that you would accomplish whatever you set out to do, then you are truly blessed. Whether this person is your father, stepfather, grandfather or even a friend’s father who has played a significant role in your life, saying “I love you” will mean so much.