Queens Gazette

Celebrate Dads On Their Day




Father’s Day was first celebrated on Jun. 19, 1910, by Sonora Smart Dodd. She and her five siblings had much to thank their dad for. Civil War veteran and widower William Jackson Smart devoted himself to raising his six children alone. Though Presidents Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge and Lyndon Johnson contributed to the creation of a national holiday, it was President Richard Nixon who made it official in 1972.

If one were to glean the full extent of a father’s role in the typical American family from our mass media, one might conclude they merely exist as a source of comic relief: irresponsible, easily tricked and basically the largest of the children. In too many instances, the importance of fathers on their children’s well-being – physical, emotional, psychological and social – is ignored or glossed over. Too many times, men are treated – or regard themselves – as merely contributing their half of a child’s DNA and a paycheck, playing no further part in forming the character and personality of the resultant human being.

Fortunately, we have our own lives to reflect upon, and scientific evidence that belies this popularized misconception. Fathers are indeed quite important to the emotional and physical well-being of their offspring. Those who achieve the most, and have the most self-confidence, have most often grown up with a father or father figure as part of their daily lives – guiding, encouraging, protecting, teaching, playing, listening and loving.

This is not to say single mothers cannot raise happy, well-adjusted, successful children of both sexes, who in turn grow up to be loving, caring parents. These women and their children have overcome formidable odds and their achievements deserve to be recognized.

On this coming Sunday, Americans will celebrate Father’s Day 2014. We suggest that along with the ties, aftershave and greeting cards with the drawings of fishing rods and mallard ducks we acknowledge, thank and honor our fathers – and the men who sometimes act in their stead – as the formative figures in our lives that they are.

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there.



Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.