Today is the 5th of September and it is also the first Sunday in September. Today is a very special day in New Zealand, because it is Fathers Day.
My congratulations and best wishes go out to all Fathers today in New Zealand. Also to those fathers from New Zealand that are currently overseas – a very ‘Happy Fathers Day’ to you too!
A Father has a huge responsibility, not just in providing for his family, but also in protecting, nurturing and supporting his family. This task is one that most Fathers take on with great enthusiasm. The ease to which they can accomplish this will depend partly on the support that is provided to them, from their partner, or their own friends and extended family. The success of a Father depends not on the material or worldly accomplishments of his children, nor on how old the child gets to live, nor on whether the child becomes a famous rock star celebrity – because many of these outcomes are completely outside the control of the Father – as external events will take their course. For example, the recent earthquake felt in New Zealand, the floods in Pakistan, and the tsunami’s around the world. In these events and in events involving crime and disorder, it is something that is a matter of timing and luck. Whether you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, is something that a Father cannot control, especially after the children have already grown up themselves and gone into the world to make their own way.
I believe the greatest success of the Father is the level of warmth and feeling that his children have towards him. Does each and everyone of his children love, respect, and admire their own Father. If this can be said, that his children have won his adoration and gratitude, then the Father will know and be sure that he has done the best that he can, and a very good job at it too.
Of course, being a father never ends! And it is a heavy obligation that is taken on when one decides to become a Father. However, I have been told, that life is never better, and that the personal rewards of satisfaction are immense.
So, to all those dedicated and hard working Fathers out there – I wish you all, a very HAPPY FATHERS DAY!
Alice Letts 