Fatherhood: A Heritage that must be Recovered

Father's Day at All Saint's Ang. Church, GRA, Enugu

I have read a lot of novels, magazines, articles, etc. You may call them fiction, but what I saw and still see on the pages of those books are realities of past events, which are also the illumination of what is written in the book of all books – The Bible. The pages of those books paint pictures of what family should be, what fathers represent in their families and society; their roles and responsibilities, etc. Please don’t crucify me yet; I am not being one-sided here; this is men’s corner, and so, I will talk about fathers. Consequently, what I see around me contradicts the knowledge I have acquired from my library of novels and magazines.

Is it that those virtues of fatherhood have been lost, or am I just living in the world of fantasy – the world of my own. Are those virtues in my book collection not records of the life people have lived? Should they remain a history just to be told? Are they not supposed to be habitual?

Father's Day at All Saint's Anglican Church, GRA, Enugu

Today, to be a man is to belong to dangerous cults, to frequent brothels and club houses, drink to stupor, have baby mamas, etc.  More so, there is a gradual shift from being the MAN to becoming weaker than woman; whom God referred to as the weaker vessel. Most men these days enjoy lazing around and shifting all their responsibilities to women, and when things doesn’t go their way, women in their lives become victims of domestic violence.

In the pages of my novels and magazines, when a husband and father is away for more than two days, the vacuum in the house is obvious, and the day he will return, he is received with great excitement by his wife/wives and children.

The few that still has fatherhood virtues today feel insecure because they are not sure if their friends will still consider them as friends, just because they are being the MAN they should be.

Father's Day at All Saint's Anglican Church, GRA, Enugu

Men have got much to recover, lest, fatherhood will be lost forever. Men should work hard to get back their respect. They should go back to innovative thinking, discoveries, creativity, and entrepreneurship. They should go back to godly leadership of humility and excellence. When a man speaks, there should be a difference. I am not asking them to be perfect, because it is impossible, but I am asking them to attain that height that God has given them the grace to attain as the Priests and leaders of their homes and society. Life only gives one chance of being a father. There is only one chance to get things right as a father, and men should stop gambling with it. Fatherhood is a wonderful thing. It is a lost heritage that must be recovered.

Ideal Olive says happy Father’s day to all fathers out there!

Written by Olive Chinyere Amajuoyi