I did not grow up around a culture that celebrated Father’s Day in the way many families do here in the United States. Most of my adult life, though, has been spent in this great country, where Father’s Day is embraced, planned for, joked about, and celebrated with cards, gifts, cookouts, calls, and family time.
Looking back, I understand why so many places around the world celebrate Mother’s Day with such intensity. A mother is so often the fabric of a family. Moms go through physical and emotional changes that fathers will never experience in the same way. They carry, deliver, care for, and raise children with a kind of sacrifice that deserves honor beyond words.
That is blessed work. It makes sense to me that many cultures hold Mother’s Day at a larger caliber. Mothers deserve that recognition.
But I also believe Father’s Day should be celebrated. We should not neglect the work, stress, love, responsibility, and quiet sacrifice many fathers carry as they try to protect, provide for, guide, and support their families.
Why Father’s Day matters too
Fatherhood can look different from family to family. For some, it is long hours and tired mornings. For others, it is fixing what breaks, paying what needs to be paid, showing up when nobody claps, or carrying pressure silently because the family needs stability.
It is also love. It is the connection with your kids. It is the small hand reaching for yours, the hug you did not know you needed, the question from the back seat, the drawing on the table, the bedtime moment when everything else pauses.
Celebrating parents is not only a joy for the parent. It is a joy for the child too. Kids love the chance to make something, surprise someone, and feel that their love has power. A card from a child can turn into fuel that lasts far longer than the day itself.
Thinking about my own father
When I think back on my younger years, I remember what my father sacrificed to be there for us. I remember the work. I remember the effort to get us what we needed so we could live a good life. I remember the way he put himself out there for his family.
I wish my siblings and I had more opportunities to celebrate him one day out of every year the way many families do now. My dad was never the type to make a big deal out of celebrations like this. Even birthdays were not something he wanted to turn into much.
But still, recognition matters. A simple day can create a positive feeling. It can set the tone for a whole week. It can say what people sometimes forget to say: we see you, we appreciate you, and your work mattered.
Sometimes the people who ask for the least recognition are the ones who deserve to hear “thank you” the most.
The card that made my year
This morning, I woke up to my boy and my wife finishing the final touches on one of the best Father’s Day cards in history. That may sound biased, and it absolutely is, but I stand by it.
The outside of the envelope was addressed to me with the house number on it, which was hilarious and perfect. The inside said everything it needed to say: a drawn heart, his name, “to Baba,” and another heart sticker.
That alone, followed by an amazing cuddle, is a feeling that will fuel me for the rest of the year.
What an amazing thing it is to be a father to someone. What a blessing. There are moments in life that explain more than words can. A child’s card and a morning cuddle can do that. They can take all the stress, responsibility, work, and worry and remind you why every bit of it is worth it.
Thank you, Baba
To my dad: thank you for all the years you put yourself out there so we could have the life we have. Thank you for the sacrifices, the work, the protection, the effort, and the love that was not always spoken loudly but was still there in action.
Happy Father’s Day to you today, and happy Father’s Day for all the years that went unrecognized. You deserved it then, and you deserve it now. I love you.
Now that I am a father myself, I understand more of what your role felt like. I understand the weight better. I understand the honor better. And I understand that being a father is not only a responsibility. It is a privilege.
Thank you to my wife and son
Thank you to my wife for all she does to keep our family healthy, loved, and steady. Thank you for creating a home where our son can be safe, learn, grow, and understand the values we care about. Thank you for the hard work you put into homeschooling and for the love you pour into the everyday details that make a house feel like home.
And thank you to my son, and to God, for the gift of having my little one be part of my life. What an honor. It is amazing how much love a person can have for another human being. You hear people say that before you have kids, but you truly learn it when you become a parent.
Children teach you that love can stretch in ways you did not know were possible.
Happy Father’s Day
To the fathers in my family, to my friends, and to fathers around the world: Happy Father’s Day.
Enjoy the things you enjoy. Enjoy your family. Let the small moments count. Take the card, the call, the hug, the text, the cookout, the quiet moment, or the laugh and let it land.
And if there is a World Cup game or two on today, I will not judge you for enjoying that too.
Happy Father’s Day.