March 28, 2024

It escaped my mind that last Sunday was Father’s Day. I was only reminded when my children surprisingly came to my house very early, roused me from my sleep and greeted me “Happy Father’s Day papa.”
I would have preferred that they just allowed me to sleep through the day but they hugged me and it melted my heart. I knew then that I was still significant in their lives. Hence, I let out a sigh of happiness and impulsively invited them for a sumptuous lunch somewhere in the traffic infested area of The Mansion. No regrets though because I had the time to bond with my family.
What made the day more remarkable is that, after all these years of having been abandoned by my children for them to pursue their respective careers outside Baguio City, is the thought there is always a string called fatherhood that draws them back to come running home when duty calls no matter what they are. It must be the same for all children. The string always pulls them back to their father. For whatever it is worth, being a father is the best accomplishment that a responsible human being can brag about.
I and my children talked about the past. What struck me are the things they say about a father that makes them closer to one. They remember the minutest details about the times we spent together. The times when we were stranded at the highway due to a flat tire, the days when we would go to the beach to soak under the melting sun until our skin peeled, the Sundays when we would share a simple meal together. Yes, they remember the good old days, the funny days, the happy days and even the sad days that we spent together. It is not the material things that I gave them that they appreciate but the time I spent with them. I think this nostalgia is general to all fathers.
Much like any loving father, I tried my darnest best to raise my children in the most ideal way I know how. Some of my methods, which come from the old-fashion way of disciplining children, was as much appreciated as it is despised. I remember the days when I had to whip my children to let them know that their transgressions will not go unpunished only to regret inflicting pain on them. Heck, I lost my temper at times and took it upon my children. Thankfully, they respected what I did and look what they turned out to be.
My two kids even chided me for not coming out with a column about Father’s Day last Sunday and ordered me to come out with one this Sunday, even if it is late. They said, I have to give tribute to fathers because I am one. I could not say no. Thus, this late article.
As a father, I am proud of being one. Perhaps, if I was born again, I would not live it any other way. I will not trade my children for any other. To me, they are the best and as a father, they are my greatest achievement. I hope and pray that it is the same for all fathers.
In a well-rounded family, fathers are indispensable as mothers. They are important if not more than mothers, especially during these age and time when the functions of a father and a mother in raising a family is no longer defined but merged. The happiest families I know are those who having loving, caring and responsible fathers. No offense to mothers.
And so, as a special day is allotted for fathers, let us all thank God for all the fathers in the world. They are one of the most important factors in making this world a better place to live in.