Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans.
John Lennon, Beautiful boy (Darling boy), 1980
One year after the national celebration of Mother’s Day in the United States, in 1909, a woman named Sonora Smart Dodd listened to the tribute speech and thought that fathers also deserved an equal celebration. She came from a family in which she and her five siblings had been cared for by their father when her mother died giving birth to her last child. Widower William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran, dedicated himself to raising his children with the help of his 16-year-old daughter Sonora.
The recognition of the performance of parents, especially those who do it without the support of a mother, was an initiative of a grateful daughter who proposed the celebration on June 5, which was her father’s birthday and was finally consolidated in the calendars in 1972 when Father’s Day was established on the third Sunday in June and is a national holiday in the United States. Since then it has been imitated by several countries around the world. The delay in making this date official was due to the fact that governments wanted to avoid the same commercialization that occurred with Mother’s Day.
Another grateful daughter was Elizabeth Baldwin whose father was one of the founders of the city of Houston and in honor of him, she dedicated part of her life and fortune to preserving the city’s parks. Baldwin Park is renowned for its beauty and is spread over 4.88 acres of land founded in the early 20th century. Without a doubt, it is a great legacy that exalts the city. To learn more about this space visit:
https://www.visithoustontexas.com/listings/elizabeth-baldwin-park/20509/
In several European countries, Father’s Day is celebrated on March 19, the day of Saint Joseph, in which, according to the Catholic religion, the adoptive father of Jesus is remembered, whose sacrifice by marrying the virgin mother of God and caring for his son, has been considered an example of holiness for parents. In Mexico, certain heroes of national history are called “Fathers of the Nation”.
The motivations for the origin of Father’s Day in the various countries arise from the image it represents in societies. The father is the protector of the family, compared to a saint or hero who sacrificed his own interests for the common good.
According to the traditional culture of Latin American countries, a man acquires great responsibilities once he becomes a father, he must take care of the family economy and maintain physical and mental strength. Undoubtedly, the death of a mother causes great upheaval in the family and makes admirable those who take her place, reestablish the structure and take care of the children. When a parent dies, the protector, the provider of material goods, is lost and consequently, the family often sinks into poverty.
In recent times, the idea of provision has spread, which is a way of containing the serious crisis that occurs when the main provider of the family dies. Women also take on a more important role every day as providers and in many cases are the main breadwinner of the family, this transforms the idea that men are the only force and women are weak to take on great responsibilities in family matters. Despite the controversy it generates, the idea of two fathers or mothers of the same sex is increasingly accepted, representing an image of balance and equality of circumstances to make a family prosper.
The culture of foresight is a way to balance the duties of a father, because the idea of making him seem like a hero without vulnerability is unfair and makes him a person incapable of failing, with a very heavy load on his shoulders. On the other hand, by accepting that everything is impermanent and change is a reality of life, it becomes important to put personal affairs in order. One could think of establishing a will, obtaining life insurance, or a funeral plan that would provide great long-term peace of mind to a family, and that peace of mind would be an invaluable gift to a father who has been present and thus tended a greater opportunity to enjoy the love of your family. To learn more about these plans visit: https://www.delpueblofuneralhome.com/es/plan-previsor/
The forecast does not replace the irreplaceable place of a father who has died, nor the pain caused by his absence, however, it focuses us on his legacy, his thoughts, his spirituality; what their presence has meant to us, to be able to manage grief, which is different for each person, and to continue with life.
On this Father’s Day, we pay tribute to those who are physically present or not, but who remain here and now, in memory and in the heart. It is never too late to write a farewell letter to express love to a father and thank him for having done his best to the best of his ability because a father is or was a human being with a unique mission in life and on that we must reflect and learn. At Del Pueblo Funeral Home, we are always with you, and remember that we make the most difficult moments easy.
