Fathers come in all forms and even in ways we do not expect.
For some people, a father could be the one who has been there for them even before day one. The strong figure, who eagerly awaited one's birth and held his/her little fingers, maybe even cried with the joy of having helped bring a piece of life into this world.
A father could be those who helped name them, and were there for their many firsts. Those who nurtured them when they were a child and taught them these beautiful little things about being a human being—riding a bike, brushing their teeth, playing games, reading books, growing up.
But for some people, a father is someone who transcended the biological definition of being one.
It could be someone, who took over the role of being father just for the sake of love, or the person who had people’s backs and helped them sail rough seas or those who served as their anchor—a teacher, who had the wisdom to help them figure out what they wanted out of life, a role model worthy of being called as one.
This year’s Father’s Day has been given more meaning as the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has left a trail of grief in every family due to different reasons.
In the Philippines, we celebrate Father’s Day on the third Sunday of June every year to honor fathers and fatherhood. It follows the Mother’s Day celebration every second Sunday of May.
While like many holidays, such an event would usually see a spike in spending as people hunt for ways to show their appreciation through traditional methods such as giving presents and creating new memories even with simple gatherings and surprises. This year’s celebration could prove bittersweet for many people particularly those directly affected by the pandemic.
Some fathers here in the Philippines and around the world have lost their lives serving as front-liners. Some strive to this day to save others or brave each uncertain day just to stand by their roles and make sure they earn enough for their families and keep them comfortable the best they can.
The COVID-19 pandemic also continues to force challenges into households, from financial issues to relationship problems as people struggle from solitude or conflict brought by quarantine restriction measures or from past issues that have not yet been properly addressed.
In many ways the pandemic has affected many sectors of society, and beyond measures to reverse economic ramifications inflicted by the disease, the crisis has required of every human being more compassion; for people to know that at the end of the day if we want to survive in a world such as this one, we need more than material things or empty words to comfort us.
We need moments of vulnerability and clear-headedness to admit that we need each other, or instances when we wear our hearts on our sleeves because, as James Baldwin said, “we are still each other’s only hope.”
During this year’s Father’s Day, in the face of challenges, may we consider how fleeting and important life is as we celebrate the important people that have helped us live it.