Father's Day - A Day to Remember

“A good father is a little bit of a mother.” (Lee Salk)

“Listen to your father, who gave you life…” (Proverbs 23:22)

 I love this quote very much, “My father didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.” It’s true for my father. He loves to talk but never a long whining preaching. He gives advice only if necessary. He lived a simple life and watch him doing it makes the word ‘simplicity’ simple. Nothing is more precious a father could give than to give his children space to make mistakes and enduring failures. When I make mistakes or surrounded by failures, father always be the last person to say anything but always be the first person to utter words of encouragement.

I remember when I failed my English paper for UPSR trial exam (You got to understand that in our family circle, failing English paper is not a big deal – it is expected!) his responded very wisely. That evening after work, he started his Yamaha motorcycle put on a cute little helmet on my big head and rides us to nearby mall. What he does after that was quite amazing – we climbed to 3^rd floor and alas, a big signboard highlights the place for us; “Popular Bookstore” and behold he brought me a big red Malay-English dictionary as a ‘present’ for my failure. I’ll never forget that moment. Instead of punishment, he gives encouragement. Instead of criticism, he gives none. Instead of telling me what I should have done, he just told me what I should do about it.

Well, father is not always being a good husband and role model all the time. Occasionally, they do make mistakes. Sometimes, they can be irresponsible. My father is not far from that fact of life. He is now gone. But deep down inside every father’s heart (as far as I know), they love you very much. When I was hanging around with a group of drunken adults, I listened carefully what they were talking about. (Tip: Almost always men will tell the truth when they get drunk.) One of them, a construction worker telling us that he loves his children very much, “I may not have much money for my children, I may not have car to send them to school and I maybe too stupid to teach them anything but with all I have; I give it to them. I love my children very much.” Now stop judging him for being drunk... the point is- he is willing 'with all I have, I give it to them." What more can a wise father wish for his children?

Fathers, we want to wish you a very happy father’s day.

We love you very much.

Thank you for "giving us life".

Related topic:
1. Knowing God as a Father (Click HERE to read)
2. Dad... by Priscilla (Click HERE to read)