Paying It Forward For Father's Day
Fathers give a lot to provide for us. The least we can do is the give them the same.
It is not flesh and blood, but heart which makes us fathers and sons.
Friedrich von Schiller
Father’s day is a day that we should spend honoring the Dad’s in our lives and the traditional role of a father: the provider.
While traditional gender roles already have and will continue to shift, the age old stereotype of a Father dating back to our earliest ancestors has been that of a provider. While the kids stayed safe at home, Father’s would venture out into the world to hunt for food to feed their kids and the rest of their tribe.
The provider procures the provisions needed take care of their family’s basic needs and spends a majority of their time doing whatever it takes to get their hands on what they need.
If there’s a Father in our lives who was or still is the provider, we should express our gratitude not just for providing what was required day after day for years, but also for carrying the weight of that responsibility.
Knowing their children may have to go without if anything happens to them or if they don’t perform to the best of their ability is not a trivial burden to carry for years on end.
Lighten the Load
In addition to expressing gratitude for the Dads in our lives, we can help lighten the load they put on themselves so they don’t feel as much pressure to provide or stress wondering if what they are doing is enough.
The basics that provider’s give to their families can easily be overlooked because they are just that, basics. They become automatic and expected despite all of the hard work that’s required behind the scenes week after week and month after month.
Reassuring Dads that they have done and are doing enough gives them a small reprieve from the constant worry that they should be doing more. It let’s them know that all of the sacrifices they’ve made and stress they’ve endured have been worthwhile.
Fathers will always have an innate instinct to provide. No matter how hard they work or how much they provide, it will never feel like enough. One of the most impactful things we can do for them is recognize the work they do and let them know that it’s enough.
Pay it Forward
We can also honor the Dads and providers in our lives by taking on the role ourselves.
Whether it’s taking care of our Dads, taking care of our own kids, or providing for another community of people in our lives, the act of providing for others is a something we should all strive for.
Providing for others is a natural instinct. Despite the stress and anxiety that comes when others are relying on us, the rewards that come from giving them a foundation of support is difficult to exaggerate.
Father’s Day should be a time to thank our Dads for everything they’ve done, lighten the load of the obligation they feel to take care of us, and take on the responsibility of being a provider ourselves.
Prompts
What does your Dad need to hear from you today?
Who are or were the providers in your life? How can you lighten their load?
Who will you provide for?
Deep Dive
Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success by Adam Grant
Explores the theory that helping others is one of the best ways to help ourselves.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you next Sunday.
Kevin