Today being Father’s Day, I have been reflecting on the
roles of mothers and fathers. Each role is so unique to each gender. Both are
so different, each bringing something to the table for a child that cannot be
duplicated, something the other cannot provide.
As a mother, it is easy for me to see the role I play in my
son’s life. Mothers are like a child’s food, his nourishment. At first, this is
literal. For over two years, I was my son’s main source of nourishment. When we
stopped breastfeeding, I had a very hard time adjusting. I remember crying to
my mom that he didn’t need me anymore. In hindsight, and now that we have found
a new “normal”, I see that he still needs me for nourishment, just now it takes
on a more figurative sense. Mothers are their children’s source of comfort.
When something goes wrong, they always know their mother’s arms are home. We
continually nourish their minds and their souls. That is the job of a mother.
The job of a father is much different, but just as vital.
You see, the father is like the child’s oxygen. A mother, like food, is
continuously sought out. We actively consume food and seek nourishment, just as
children actively reach for their mothers, from infancy clear into adulthood. But
we breathe oxygen every second of every day without even thinking about it.
That is the job of a father. Underrated, underappreciated, and so very, very crucial.
A father shapes his children with every action, every word he ever utters. And
children are starved for this, just as someone drowning hungers for oxygen.
So to all you amazing dads out there who have waited
patiently for your turn to be the one your child wants to spend all their time
with, who have worked, sacrificed, and provided for your family, who would
literally die to protect them: Happy Father’s Day!
