Father’s Day
On this day recognizing the role a father or role-model may contribute to your life or family system, I encourage you to make this a day of experience and healing. This is a day closely knit to our very identity and personhood, so remove the sense of obligation or cultural norms and simply allow yourself to be. If you feel inclined to offer words of “celebration,” feel free. If there is a need to grieve or mourn a loss, allow those feelings so you may continue to heal.
This is a day that calls up thoughts about the role of men in our lives; past relationships; patriarchy; grief and loss; and the social structures that create inequities for so many men and women. The complex emotions associated with this need to be attended to, not pushed aside to join in with cultural expectations to celebrate heteronormative standards that make some more comfortable.
Here are a few articles with some additional thoughts:
How a Father’s Love Helps Kids Thrive in Life
Greater Good shares an article about newly published research demonstrating the impact fathers have on their children’s self-esteem.
How Alloparents Can Help You Raise a Family
Another article by Greater Good discusses a family’s experience with a community of caregivers, reminding us “we are not meant to go it alone.”
Celebrating Father’s Day through Family Policy
While this article is outdated, the point remains - celebrating any parent of a family can only be done when those family members are available to fulfill that role. Policies that support equitable housing options, job opportunities and decarceration are the best fulfillment of family celebrations.
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