It's been a long road we have travelled to reach to the place that we presently find ourselves in society, from our grandfathers age when Dad was the king of the mansion to the present day when Dad's are slowly being relegated to the back chambers .We have to make a conscious choice that this isn't going to happen, because we are not going to allow it to happen, the present day society has to stand up and ensure that this all important individual is around to play their much required role, even if it's just by stepping in and being the dad's ourselves.
We all know that a father curves and defines the daughters relationships with men, how a girl views her father and how they relate plays a great role in shaping her relations when she is all grown up .It has been said that girls who have healthy relationships with their father's are well able to find their own identity (not that it isn't true for those whose father's were absent because God His own way of taking care of them).
We don't need to say much about the role of a father to their sons, because he is the epitome of masculinity to this male child, he is his hero, his, his superman, even at times his Tom and Jerry .In short a boy derives all that he is from his father, how he relates to women, how he perceives himself and how he views fellow men. His dreams goals and aspirations are often based on who his father is to him. Many young boys are known to quote “when I grow up I want to be just like Dad”. It doesn't matter what dad does he just wants to be like dad.
My personal favorite are the single father's, although there are quite a number of them, their praises are hardly sung. A young man having been widowed is left to tend to his two young children (a young boy and a girl) .He now has to learn to play the role of father and mother, so on a Sunday afternoon and just like they used to do with their mother he decides to take them out for a treat at a local hotel. It pains him to imagine the outing without his dear wife but he knows he just has to cope at least for the children. On entry into the hotel both children declare they would like to use the washroom, the girl gently pulls his hand towards the ladies while the young boy tags at his trouser as he points towards the gents. Torn between the two he makes a decision in a split second to head with both children to the gents. The girl protests but the decision is final. this is just an extract from a day in a single father's life .Tomorrow he may have to deal with tying ribbons and fixing hair clips ,removing sand from shoes and matching socks which just seem unmatchable because all the matching pairs have been lost at play.
Even as we strengthen our women, encourage them and fight for their rights, let's not create such a large gap that we forget our men and the children who need mother figures to help the lone fathers. If you are a mother taking your daughters out for a girl's day with Mum please do pass by that single dad's place and pick his daughter too. If you are a father taking your wife and children out please drop by your friends who's divorced and has custody of his children and take them along with your family. I know somebody has been reading this and is feeling inspired so please lets be on the look out for those Dad's who need a thumbs up to let them know that they are valued and will always have the support of society.
