Life Lessons From My Father

Often we hear about absent fathers who choose not to take care of their offspring. Those who don’t even bother to acknowledge their children. But then we have the kind of fathers who take on the role of parenthood with zeal, committed to love, protect, guide and care for their children.

They are seen as the head of the household. They put their family first in all that they do and play a huge part in providing the necessities of life. Although it requires great sacrifices, many fathers do all that they can to shape their children into responsible citizens who are able to stand on their own two feet.

It is not just about biology.

Some men even take on the role of father for children who are not theirs, instilling in them the values which will shape them in life.

With Sunday, 18 June being Father’s Day this year, The Weekender’s readers celebrated their fathers by sharing some of the most important lessons they have learnt from them.

“Any man who can or cannot reproduce babies can be called a father but it takes a real bold man to hold that title,” Maria-Lia Shigwedha expressed. “My father taught me always to strive for my heart’s needs and rather focus less on the wants. That I should be a go-getter to better myself before anything else and no man, even my ‘boyfriend'(he’d kill me when he reads this), should stand in the way. My father is my definition of a soul provider, hero and a real father. I love you, Pa JJ.”

Ruth Tebuho Kamwi said there were so many lessons she had learnt from her father. “He’s been a single parent for the greater part of our lives, teaching us the utmost importance of making the most of life’s opportunities, education especially. He also taught us about finding peace within ourselves, regarding every being with the same level of respect regardless of their social standing and never to become a victim of people’s attempts to pull you down.”

She added another important life lesson learnt from her dad: “To remain hopeful despite the situation you may find yourself in”.

Interestingly enough, research shows that children with caring father figures in their lives progress well academically while their social development is also affected positively. “My father was the first man to ever enter my life and the first man I ever learnt to treat with utter reverence,” Michelle Godenschweig shared. “Despite what most may think, it’s hard to learn to respect someone. My father was a living example of the traits I look out for. Most importantly, I still love him despite all of his flaws.”

Reginald Ndokotola points out that a father can stand up for you when no one else does: “My father believed I was a smart child and he told people in my presence that he has a smart child. He demonstrated this by enrolling me in good schools. He convinced me so much that once when a teacher insinuated that I was stupid, I ignored her and thought she had lost her marbles.”

There is a beautiful quote from an unknown author that appreciates fathers:

“Fatherly love brings wealth to living.

Remembering this we go forth in giving.

Fathers young, fathers old.

We remember you all.

As life unfolds.”

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