Letter to Fathers

Daddy, Papa, Tatay, Ama and Father, these are just some of the names we call the only special man in our life. For most of us, we know this man as our idol, our role model, our mentor, and our teacher. But for some, this special man is our very own best friend. A father by definition is someone who is responsible for the creation and the development of a certain individual. He is also the leader of a small unit known as a family. Considered as the "Boss" of the family, he is a man of strength, courage and discipline. In other words, he is the epitome of masculinity and leadership.

But for me, he is the perfect example of unconditional love. He would often appear numb & emotionless, hiding all his feelings, appearing strong and unfaltering and not showing any signs of weakness. He is strict and often manages the household with an iron-fist. But even though a father might be a burly man that could be as numb and cold as ice and as mad as madman, beneath his mask that covers all the toughness, deep inside he is a sensitive man with soft heart. There are reasons why he acts as tough as he could. He wants his family feel that there is always someone who they could run to. Because, once the father gives up, the family soon follows. He is the backbone of the family, without him, no one would give support like what he gives to the family. Every week he has to endure all the pains and sacrifices just to ensure that his family is able to eat three times a day, put on some clothes, has a bed to rest upon and a roof to cover their heads. And after a very long week of chaos, he is able to spend some time with his beloved family. For him, just being together with the family is the greatest thing he could ask for. It is his goal and inspiration every week, saying to himself that after all these hardships, there would be a day where he would spend it entirely with his family. He also just had a very simple dream, the dream of seeing his family very happy. Seeing his children graduate and being ensured that they would live continuously makes him proud. That is his only dream. Fathers never really lived for themselves. They are just people who also make mistakes. They are not perfect and often believe in the things that they think is right. They know this themselves and all they ask for is understanding, understanding from their family especially from their children. To understand them would mean a lot to them. It would show the love and appreciation they truly deserve.

Our fathers are one of the greatest gifts of God into us. To understand and love them is a simple way to show how we appreciate them. It is nothing compared to what they have done for us. Nothing is ever expected from a child, but as someone who knows how to pay our dept of gratitude to our fathers, we should know how to show it, and we must let him feel it. To let him feel that he is loved and appreciated will show him that all he have done has never gone to waste. This is but a small sacrifice we can offer to immortalize the memories of the only special man we ever loved.