I have all kinds of news stories in the queue to write about, but I’m going to let them linger there a bit longer to make this timely.
Father’s Day is tomorrow, June 19. By the time you’re reading this, it is probably already here, or maybe it has even already passed. I’m writing this simply to express my perspective on Father’s Day. Maybe a few of you will identify with it.
I never met my father. My grandfather was the closest I had to a father figure; he left this world some years ago. So, normally, I don’t give Father’s Day much thought. I have no idea, but this year, I really got to thinking about it.
And I read up on the history of Father’s Day according to Wikipedia. It’s an interesting read. But it raises the question I’m asking this year: did the people who came up with the idea for Father’s Day ever really think about what Father’s Day really means for those of us (like me) who not only grew up without a dad, but may well never get a chance to be a dad themselves?
Yes, to me, seeing Father’s Day observed and celebrated is a painful reminder of my fatherless past, and a reminder of the likely future that I will probably never get to be a dad no matter how badly I want to. (Please understand that yes, I do try to retain my optimism on the latter point, but it becomes more difficult as the years go on.) I’m sorry if I let it slip “what’s so happy about it?” when asked if I had a happy Father’s Day. I know I’m too young to be seriously considered a curmudgeon (I’m well over a decade away from AARP membership, thankfully), and I will admit I have a fair amount of things not to be proud of. But, I say things the way they are, not the way we wish they were.