What If We’ve Been Doing Father’s Day All Wrong? — For The Dads
In a world that often celebrates loud declarations of love, Father’s Day stands quietly in the background—steady, reliable, and patient. Just like the fathers it honors.
Fathers are often the unsung heroes of our lives—the ones who quietly support our successes, showing pride not with words but with a gentle pat on the back or by sharing our achievements on the family WhatsApp group. He never asked for applause, but he clapped the loudest at every milestone you reached. This is the story of the man behind the curtain—your father. While Mother’s Day is marked with flowers and tears, Father’s Day tends to be more low-key. But that’s just how dads are.
From fixing broken toys to working hard to provide us the best possible lives, fathers have been the unseen support behind our lives for a very long time. A Pew Research study found that 85% of fathers in dual-income households still feel a strong pressure to be the “provider.” Yet many are redefining that role - Today’s dads are just as likely to pack lunchboxes, braid hair, and attend parent-teacher meetings as they are to pay the bills.
Fathers don’t come perfect. They grow slowly into their role—from learning to change diapers to handling teenage mood swings, to discovering that love sometimes means letting go. A 2023 UNICEF report showed that involved fatherhood in early childhood leads to better emotional and cognitive outcomes for children, proving a father’s love is more than just presence—it’s a foundation for success.
But numbers could never capture what fatherhood really means. How do you measure a father’s quiet strength when his child is hurting? Or the courage it takes to smile through his own struggles so his child never feels unstable?
“It is not flesh and blood, but the heart which makes us fathers.” — Johann Friedrich von Schiller
Fatherhood isn’t just about biology. Many honor men who choose to be fathers to children who are not their own—stepdads, grandfathers, uncles, mentors. This Father’s Day, remember: “dad” is a title earned, not given.
In India, Father’s Day is still growing. First celebrated in the U.S. in 1910, it’s slowly gaining ground in India’s urban and digital spaces. Social media is filled with old photos, heartfelt messages, and videos of dads dancing awkwardly to make their kids smile. It’s touching—and a reminder that fathers are changing. The distant dad of the past is being replaced by one who’s learning to say, “I love you” out loud.
Maybe that’s why this day feels so emotional—because everyone reading this carries a memory: a late-night car ride after heartbreak, a stern scolding that became a life lesson, a dad standing at the school gate, hiding tears as his child leaves for college.
So this Father’s Day, don’t just send a text. Call him. Sit with him. Ask about his dreams. You might discover the boy he once was before he became your father.
“Anyone can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.” — Wade Boggs
