The reason I didn’t write a Mother’s Day article was because I didn’t even know when it was. But at least I wished my mom and Happy Mother’s day when I figured it out. I know it’s Father’s Day today, but the more I thought about it, I decided to include both mother and father for this article, because it felt a bit off for me to talk about mothers and fathers separately. I feel I need to say things for both of them. So this will be more of a “parents” article than just dedicated to fathers.
So it’s Father’s Day today. When it comes to my dad, there are moments when I get really annoyed or furious at my dad that I wanna slap him in the face. But I don’t do it because, number 1, I’d be grounded for a year, and number 2, I love him and I’d NEVER do that to him. I wouldn’t want to harm him in any possible way. From where I stand, he’s one of the most intelligent, kind, likeable, responsible and noble people I’ve ever known in my life. He’s taught me everything I’ve learned in… ok, not everything, but most of what I know today. One of the most important things that he taught me was that despite the fact that he’ll be there for me whenever I need help, he won’t always be around: I have to learn how to take care for myself and make my own choices. But he let me know that he’ll always be there whenever I’m in desperate need, or just want to see him again. And guess what? My mother taught me all these things as well. My mother is also one of the smartest, most creative, selfless, responsible, loveable, and noble people I’ve ever known, and she also had taught me very important things. Like my dad, she taught me most of what I know today, and most of the time her and my dad had to work together to teach me these things, using both kindness and discipline. She also taught me important things, like how to have a mind of my own, to think for myself, how to express my creativity and imagination (by taking me to a bunch of arts and crafts courses and other courses through the years), how to give more than receive, and also taught me how to be smart, responsible, polite, organised, neat, generous and kind. And all those things is what makes great parenting.
I don’t know what it’s like to be a parent, and there are various factors which make up a parent, but from what I’ve gathered, I sorta got a general idea of what parenting might truly mean. For one thing, I think there should be a balance between a mother and father’s love for their kids: parents have to work together in order to raise their kids properly and offer them love and security for them to grow up into a healthy and strong adult. Neither of them is less or more important than the other.
But what do they need to teach their kid? The biggest part of it is teaching their kid what goals they want to fulfil in life, and how to fulfil them. It’s a common cliche to say that “the kids are our future,” but it’s still true to this day. It’s about what road the kid takes, what he fulfils in life and about what he or she becomes in life as an adult. My parents didn’t tell me what I was supposed to be or what I should be, but they set out the opportunities of what I could be and make me decide for myself what road I wanted to take in my future. They allowed my skills to develop, and help me explore what I could do and what I wanted to do.
So to me, being a parent is all about how much you can help this child grow. You’re helping someone shape themselves as they grow up, and who said growing up was easy? It’s not just in terms of career and success, but also about their own identity. Sometimes parents will have to teach them something about themselves: they were kids once, and most of what they teach is based on their own experiences growing up.
And although it’s ideal for parents to raise their kids in a safe and loving environment, they have to teach their children how to stand on their own eventually. In one way, they have to teach them about the challenges and dangers life poses in order to better prepare them for what’s to come. That way they aren’t entirely reliant on their parents, and they stand on their own two feet with the knowledge of how to handle these situations, make up their own choices, and take responsibility.
So someday you have to leave the nest and learn how to move on, but you should not forget about your parents. The way you interact and become influenced by others is one of the most important ways you develop in life, and your parents are there for you during your earlier years: the beginning of one’s development. They protect you, they care for you, they raise you, they believe in you, they support you and most importantly they love you.
Again, I don’t know what it’s like to be a parent. I need to experience it myself to truly understand what it really means. If I do have kids in the future, maybe I’ll even learn something else about myself. Overall, I think the reason I know all this is because… well… because of my parents.
Thanks, Mom and Dad.
So with that said, Happy Mother’s Day (again) and Happy Father’s Day!
Now for this specific day, for the people celebrating Father’s Day, and from me to my dad, here is this hilarious and at the same time very touching video from CollegeHumour:
The Six Ways You’ll See Your Dad
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IuLG6WqjOEo1
Happy Father’s Day to all of you dads out there, and those who will become one soon!
