Written by Crystal Schwalger
Last week, I heard a new father say that father’s don’t really matter. He said everyone makes a big deal out of Mother’s Day, but no one cares about Father’s Day. That comment made me so sad because it is simply not true. While he is right that society does make a big deal out of Mother’s Day—and rightly so—Father’s Day is just as important. No matter if you call him father, dad, daddy, pop, papa, poppy, or even “my old man,” one thing is for certain: fathers make a difference in their children’s lives.
Way back in 1909, Sonora Smart Dodd was sitting in church in Spokane listening to a Mother’s Day sermon when she wondered why there wasn’t a day for fathers like there was for mothers. Dodd’s own mother had died in childbirth, so her father—a Civil War hero—had single-handedly raised her and her five siblings. She thought it only right that a father’s contribution be recognized too. It wasn’t long after that day in May that Dodd petitioned the city to recognize fathers as well as mothers. She gained support from local churches and pastors and asked the city to choose June 5, her own father’s birthday as the special day. The mayor, however, agreeing that it was a good idea, felt he needed more time, so he pushed the date back. News of the upcoming celebration spread across the state, and a year later, the very first recognized Father’s Day was celebrated by the entire state of Washington on June 19, 1910.
While Mother’s Day caught on rather quickly, Father’s Day had a much harder time. It slowly lost popularity as a celebration until the 1930’s when Dodd once again tried to raise awareness, this time on a national level. She petitioned the help of national retailers hoping to appeal to their commercial side. While this did help to promote the day nationwide, it didn’t quite have the effect Dodd had hoped. A bill was introduced to the United States Congress, but they feared that it would become overly commercialized like Mother’s Day, and the idea was put aside. Presidents Woodrow Wilson and Calvin Coolidge recommended that it be observed as a nation, but both stopped short of making it an official proclamation.
In 1957, Maine Senator Margaret Chase Smith wrote a proposal for a National Father’s Day, accusing Congress of ignoring fathers for 40 years while honoring mothers. Unfortunately, nothing was done until 1966 when President Lyndon B. Johnson finally issued an official proclamation designating the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Six years later, Nixon signed it into law—57 years after Dodd first introduced the idea.
Since then, Father’s Day has become a day to not only honor our own father but fathers everywhere. Along with the U.S., many other countries around the world celebrate their own version of Father’s Day, remembering the contribution that fathers make. And so they should.
It’s hard to explain the impact that a father has on their children. Not having any brothers, I can only go by my experience being a daughter, but I can’t imagine what my life would be like today without my own father. He taught me and my three older sisters to work and to always do our very best at what we were doing. While I have to admit I didn’t appreciate what I considered to be hard work at the time growing up, I certainly appreciate it now as an adult. I will forever be thankful for the influence my father had on me, and for the things he taught me.
You don’t have to take my word about how important a father can be however. Psychologists agree that fathers are vital to the well-being of a child. Psychology Today quotes research done by professionals saying, “An involved father can play a crucial role particularly in the cognitive, behavioral and general health and well-being areas of a child’s life; that having a positive male role model helps an adolescent boy develop positive gender-role characteristics; that adolescent girls are more likely to form positive opinions of men and are better able to relate to them when fathered by an involved father; that it is generally accepted, under most circumstances, a father’s presence and involvement can be as crucial to a child’s healthy development as is the mother’s.”
It’s no secret that the importance of fathers and all they do is often taken for granted. I know that I have sometimes overlooked my husband and how hard he works as a father. He is probably the hardest working man I know. For too many years to count, he got up in the early morning hours to go to work two jobs and then come home and work until dark fixing our home, yard, or other necessities that needed to be done. These were sacrifices he made to provide for his family and to be an example for his children.
While many fathers still seem to feel like they are second-class citizens, there is no reason they should feel that way. They need to realize that they are not second best but rather the perfect complement to the nurturing mother. Not just someone who harmonizes with a mother but someone who completes and perfects parenthood as a unit, someone who is not only needed but is essential.
This coming Sunday, my hope is that you not only remember the fathers in your life but that you recognize the many sacrifices they have made on your behalf. Happy Father’s Day.
Crystal Schwalger has loved writing ever since she could remember. Her love of learning led her to Dixie State University where she graduated with a degree in English and Communications. She is passionate about writing and believes that you should never give up on your dreams. She is happiest when she is at home enjoying her backyard green spaces with her family. She currently lives in Washington Utah with her husband, her children, and her dog Kali.
