The Job of a Father

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!