By Sharon Monteiro
Mrs. Sonara Smart Dodd’s father, William Jackson Smart, was a Civil War veteran and a single parent who raised six children in Washington. After hearing a sermon about Mother’s Day in 1909 in Church, she told her pastor that fathers should have a similar holiday honouring them.
Although she had initially suggested June 5th, her father’s birthday, the pastors did not have enough time to prepare their sermons, and the celebration was deferred to the third Sunday of June. Several local clergymen accepted the idea and the first Father’s Day was celebrated on June 19th, 1910 and: “sermons honoring fathers were presented throughout the city”.
Being a father is a tough job. Dads are responsible for at least one half of the financial and emotional well-being of the family. What most Dads tell me is that fatherhood changes them for the better.
They care more about the world, support community events and help where ever they can. It is as if suddenly they find that there is something more important than themselves and want to make the world a better and safer place for their child.
A nice way to celebrate Father’s Day is to have a family dinner and invite family and friends. After dinner, let each one tell Dad in the form of a thoughtful card, poem, letter or heartfelt speech how much they mean to you (and remember to videotape this).
If your family members are in another country, ask them to send a video of themselves telling Dad how much he means to them. You could end this celebration by creating a PowerPoint showing photos of all your shared memories.
On the other hand, if your Dad is not living in Dubai, send him a video telling him how much he means to you and how much you love him.
And to all the Dads out there, we at Mother, Baby & Child love and appreciate you!