Fathers day can never be like mothers day - Rev. Father Ohene Agyapong

The parish priest of St. Micheal Catholic Church, Nkawkaw. Very Rev. Fr. Bright Kennedy Ohene Agyapong has stated that there is no way fathers day can be like mothers due to the massive struggles of most women in the up bringing of children these days.

He said, a baby being in a woman's womb for nine good months and nursing that baby too is not an easy task, fathers day is not well recognized because what most men did in the past by impregnating women and they refuse to accept and take responsibility for it.

Fr. Bright who is a Catholic priest, continued by saying there are a lot of responsible fathers out there who do their responsibilities genuinely but even on a percentage wise it is clear that the women are ahead of the men, although I am a man but sometimes when am driving and I see women who are on these cargo trucks for several hours with foodstuffs, charcoal and other stuff from one region to the other and the amazing thing is that sometimes they have their six to one-year babies with them, he said this when he was speaking on TOP FM evening news with Mireku Nyampong as the the anchor.

He further said that, fathers should also find time for their children, because sometimes it is only the mothers who will be seen at home always, the Bible says fathers thus men are the heads of every family on this planet earth but it will only come to pass if only most fathers change from their bad behavior and attitude that they show to wifes and children in most cases.

Fathers are not usually recognised for their role in providing for a family and the sacrifices they make.

They are not usually recognised as a good parent solely because of it whereas mothers are recognised for their sacrifices and caring for their families.

Most fathers thinks putting money on the table is the only way out as a responsible father but they should remember that there is more to it. He sited an example that, there is this friend of his who lives in one the foreign countries, who said their father was very supportive to them but they thought their father don't love them because he has never said I love you to them before but on the other hand their mother have been saying "I love you" to them every blessed morning and evening.

So with these their mind set was that it is their mother who loves them. So statistically it shows clerlarly that people spend far more on Mother's day than Father's day. Also, far less people devote as much attention and recognition of fathers role in the upbringing of a child.

HISTORY OF FATHER'S DAY

Festival as seen today is not even a hundred years old, we have a day to acknowledge the important role played by the father.

However, some scholars opine that Father's Day history is much older than we actually believe it to be. They say that the custom of honoring dad's on a special day is over 4,000 years old. There are a few more claims about the Father's Day origin about which we will learn in this page.

Modern version of Father's Day celebration originated in United States of America and thereafter the tradition spread in countries around the world. The world owes thanks to Ms Sonora Louise Smart Dodd a loving daughter from Spokane, Washington as it is because of her struggle that Father's Day saw the light of the day.

Sonora felt strongly for fathers because of the affection she received from her own father Mr William Jackson Smart, a Civil War veteran. Sonora's mother died while childbirth when she was just 16.

Mr Smart raised the newborn and five other children with love and care Ms Dodd began a rigorous campaign to celebrate Father's Day in US. The Spokane Ministerial Association and the local Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) supported Sonora's cause.

As a result Spokane celebrated its first Father's Day on June 19, 1910. Though there was initial hesitation the idea gained gradual popularity all over US and Fathers Day came to be celebrated in cities across the country.