Happy Father's Day!
Monday, June 22, 2009
Posted by Mansi
Happy Father's Day to all the readers of The Daily Tiffin!
It's one of those holiday weekends in US where it has become a norm to celebrate special "days", mostly to help the economy and gift- stores. However, I was a bit surprised to read the history behind the origin of Father's Day.
According to this source, Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.
This story proves that a father's role is as important as a mother's in the life of a child, and even if Mothers have a higher involvement in their lives, the presence and effect a father's influence can never be ignored or underestimated!
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of celebrating Father's Day nationally, and in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation officially declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
I'm not a great fan of celebrating all the different kinds of "Days" that have become an excuse for unwarranted gift-giving. But I do agree that some of these have a genuine message or purpose; they make you sit back and appreciate the significance of an event or a person in your life. However, it does NOT mean that you can ignore that person for the remainder of the year, or express Fake love or caring just on that one day, it does provide you an opportunity to plan something ahead and do something special, just because its hard to find time for things like these in normal day-to-day lives.
Whether you believe in this concept or not, is totally your choice. But I feel celebrating Mother's Day and Father's Day is a nice way to inculcate love and respect for a parent in a young child's mind. Just involve your kids in doing something together as a family, and they'll appreciate the fact that he is lucky to have a mom and dad who care for each other; it makes the kids feel more loved and secure, and will eventually help them be more empathic and emotional toward other relationships.
I would like to cite here President Obama's Father's Day Letter to the fathers of the world. In his own words, he says: In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence," says Obama, who was 2 when his father left. "I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children is one that no government can fill."
So, here's wishing a Very Happy Father's Day to all the dads in this world from the DT team, because all of you are doing a tremendous job out there, taking care of your kids and families. And though your children may not always tell you this, be sure to believe that you are very important to them, and NO ONE but you, can ever take your place!
This post was written by Mansi
It's one of those holiday weekends in US where it has become a norm to celebrate special "days", mostly to help the economy and gift- stores. However, I was a bit surprised to read the history behind the origin of Father's Day.
According to this source, Mrs. John B. Dodd, of Washington, first proposed the idea of a "father's day" in 1909. Mrs. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart. William Smart, a Civil War veteran, was widowed when his wife (Mrs. Dodd's mother) died in childbirth with their sixth child. Mr. Smart was left to raise the newborn and his other five children by himself on a rural farm in eastern Washington state. It was after Mrs. Dodd became an adult that she realized the strength and selflessness her father had shown in raising his children as a single parent.
This story proves that a father's role is as important as a mother's in the life of a child, and even if Mothers have a higher involvement in their lives, the presence and effect a father's influence can never be ignored or underestimated!
In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge supported the idea of celebrating Father's Day nationally, and in 1966, President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation officially declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father's Day.
I'm not a great fan of celebrating all the different kinds of "Days" that have become an excuse for unwarranted gift-giving. But I do agree that some of these have a genuine message or purpose; they make you sit back and appreciate the significance of an event or a person in your life. However, it does NOT mean that you can ignore that person for the remainder of the year, or express Fake love or caring just on that one day, it does provide you an opportunity to plan something ahead and do something special, just because its hard to find time for things like these in normal day-to-day lives.
Whether you believe in this concept or not, is totally your choice. But I feel celebrating Mother's Day and Father's Day is a nice way to inculcate love and respect for a parent in a young child's mind. Just involve your kids in doing something together as a family, and they'll appreciate the fact that he is lucky to have a mom and dad who care for each other; it makes the kids feel more loved and secure, and will eventually help them be more empathic and emotional toward other relationships.
I would like to cite here President Obama's Father's Day Letter to the fathers of the world. In his own words, he says: In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence," says Obama, who was 2 when his father left. "I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children is one that no government can fill."
So, here's wishing a Very Happy Father's Day to all the dads in this world from the DT team, because all of you are doing a tremendous job out there, taking care of your kids and families. And though your children may not always tell you this, be sure to believe that you are very important to them, and NO ONE but you, can ever take your place!
This post was written by Mansi
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Thats true that we hardly say....but we all love our FATHER....Happy Fathers Days.