Father’s Day is almost here. It’s time to bust out the grills and celebrate dear old dad. Well, for most of us anyways. Unfortunately, for some us, this is a day that we’d prefer not to remember. The truth is that not everyone has a good father. Some fathers, far too many, are neglectful, absent and/or outright abusive. For those of us who don’t have a kind and loving father in our lives, this day becomes a day of grief. Because we are grieving. We are grieving for a relationship that we should have had but didn’t.
So the question is, what are we to do with this day? I think the most important thing is to realize that you do not have to celebrate this day. Father’s Day is a gift coming from a place of wanting to celebrate all the things that he has done for you. It is not mandatory and is is not your fault if there is nothing to celebrate.
It’s okay to admit that. It’s okay to say that this a hard day and that you need some time. I usually take this day to disconnect, avoid Facebook and other media. I don’t need the reminders. That being said, this doesn’t have to be a day of sulking alone. It is important to realize that you have done a lot. Without a father figure, you have had to pick up a lot of slack. You have had to raise yourself and that is definitely something worth celebrating.
Written by an Empowerteen Creative Writer Student Intern:
Lilia Watt (Senior at Willamette University, Creative Writing Major)
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