Fathers are very special people

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me. – Jim Valvano

An article in the Washington Times titled, ‘Top 10 TV dads who broke the mould’ caught my eye, especially the dad who charted at number four… (Drum roll please!)… Homer Simpson! He certainly was a dad who broke the mould – he blew the mould to smithereens actually! We’ve all cracked up at Homer’s ridiculous and borderline insane behaviour, but I guess we all have moments where we glance at our own dads and go, ‘Phew! Thank God I don’t have Homer Simpson for a Dad!’ Of course, having Homer around might be useful to hassle that teacher who picks on you every class ( read: emotionally scar him/ her into giving you the best grades) or that annoying prefect who just won’t give it a rest – one verse into Homer’s soulful rendition of ‘Spider- pig’ would send anyone reeling.
But then again, for Homer to actually show up at something as mundane as a PTA meeting would be entirely out of character.
So once again, you might say a quick prayer of thanks for your father who turns up to all of your meetings, properly attired and with an actual interest in your future.
But it shouldn’t take these bizarre cartoon references for you to appreciate your father. It shouldn’t even take Father’s Day to remind you of how important your father is. Showing your dad that you care should be something that you do every day. It should come to you as naturally as breathing or as eating (after all, in many families, the father is the sole breadwinner of the family and is the reason that you actually have something to eat in the first place).
So yes, of course you have to do something special for your dad, it’s just that please don’t just post your gift in the mail, or make a quick phone call or send an e-mail to your father – that’s downright lazy! Take the gift in person, say ‘Happy Father’s Day’ in person, or better yet, cook a special meal for your dad or just spend some quality time catching up with your dad.
And don’t just limit this feeling of sharing and caring to Father Day, how much does it cost to tell your parents every day that you love them? It costs you absolutely nothing, but it can mean a whole lot to them.
And if you have some issue with your parents, don’t hold a grudge forever from now till eternity because let’s face it; you’re not going to be around till eternity. Your parents aren’t going to be around forever, you’re not going to be around forever, nobody will be around forever, so who are you trying to impress with your ‘superior grudge-holding skills’? You’re just hurting yourself and the two only people in the world that you can be completely sure will always have your back, no matter what.