A few weeks ago Father’s Day was celebrated in both Ireland and Poland. I am writing about this topic now because unfortunately I completely forgot about it at the time!
I don’t know how we came to celebrate Father’s Day but I think that this day came about because a month earlier Mother’s Day is celebrated. It’s a pity that we don’t just have ‘Parents’ Day’, it would be easier for everyone to remember. Anyway, back to the topic and what exactly is a father in the current climate?
First of all, we have to think about the stereotypes. Father is the head of the family and mother is the neck. This is just half true because now all around the world we have a new model of family where all parents are working and live as partners. Decisions are made jointly, so it’s time to challenge the stereotype and say that parents are now the head of the family and the neck position could be claimed by kids or even a stereotypical terrible mother-in-law! The role of father has been downgraded and instead of being the main player he has become a co-player, but yet, we can’t forget about our nature. In my opinion, in the relationship called marriage, we need one person who, in any situation, will keep a cool head. By a cool head, I mean will remain logical, free of unnecessary emotion and suchlike. As we know from our lives, this kind of character is often found in a man’s make-up. Women are ususally full of panic and they make a mountain out of a molehill. So, just like that, the balance is maintained between parents.
So how does the modern husband occupy the role of father? In my opinion, he’s most important. A father, we can say, jumps to the top in the hierarchy of parents and occupies pole position. It’s like that because he assumed some responsibility formerly assumed by the mother. For example, when a young mother tells the story of bathing her young baby, nobody bats an eyelid, but when a proud father talks of giving a bath to his young son or daughter, people consider him a hero. There are plenty of examples, but the fact is that fatherhood now has a different meaning. Father is not this person that cares about fire and hunting for mammoth, father is the person who changes nappies, makes baths, plays football and even sometimes screams! First of all father is a man at home and, as we know, home without a man is like Roscommon without the Castle.
So, I’m sorry about being a few weeks late, but best wishes to all fathers. I already rang my father (better late than never) and when I expressed my Father’s Day wishes, he began speaking about the historical discovery of silver in Poland. He’s a little weird, but that’s probably the reason why I love him so much.
