The youth of the “Dreamers of Tomorrow” stirred my sentiments when they asked me: Why don’t we celebrate Father’s Day as we celebrate Mother’s Day in Egypt? The gentle young woman said: My father is my role model, and without him I would not be who I am. What’s the story of Father’s Day, doctor?
I said: Historically, the first idea to set aside a day to honor the father was Mrs. Sonora Lewis from Michigan in 1909. Sonora wanted to honor her father, who alone raised his six children after her mother’s death, and submitted a petition recommending a day to celebrate the father, and this petition was supported by a large number of Categories, and June 19 was dedicated to celebrating fathers in her city, and this custom later spread in the United States and other countries
All countries of the world celebrate Father’s Day on different days, and most Arab countries, including Egypt, celebrate this day on June 21.
But I remind you that the most beautiful thing I have read in honoring the father and mother is that these feasts were defined a long time ago, in the words of God Almighty in Surat Al-An’am: “Say, ‘Come, I will recite what your Lord has forbidden you not to associate anything with, and do good to the parents,’” and in Surat Al-Isra: “And your Lord has decreed that you not worship.” Except him and the parents, be kind. Either one or both of them reach old age with you. Do not say to them, “Af,” and do not reprimand them, and say to them a generous word, and lower to them the wing of humiliation out of mercy, and say, “My Lord, have mercy on them as they raised me when I was young.” That is, God Almighty brought the parents next to His worship. Taking care of them and celebrating is a duty on us, not on a single day, but on all days.
The young woman said: You told us a lot about your mother, but we did not hear you talk about your father, so what was it for you and how did it affect you?
I said:
How do we measure the value of a person in life, a question that came to my mind when I remember my father on Father’s Day after your question, do I grieve or rejoice when he is mentioned after losing him?!
Do I grieve for his absence from my sight, mind and heart, do I grieve for the absence of his wisdom, justice and love, do I grieve for my loneliness for his smile, tenderness and care, do I grieve for the loss of his voice and special kiss, do I grieve to see my mother with her wandering eyes, her inner fear, and her tense beauty when we mention him before her
Do I grieve for all of this, or do I rejoice and be happier for this father, grandfather, great-grandfather, uncle and uncle, happier for him, and I hope to be for my children as I was for me? The happiest person who enriched everyone in his family, big and small, son and daughter, enriched us with his mind, justice and wisdom, gave us without limits and without restrictions, gathered us around him and brought us together with ourselves, he made the word family meaning, form and identity.
Happiest for him and us, for a man whose whole life, without exception, was a continuous giving and a free, innovative thought, a man who held responsibility for everyone around him, without hesitation or complaint since he was a ten-year-old child.
Happiest for him and us, for he was a father to us and we are proud of what he instilled in us of love and respect for work, of closeness to God without noise or appearances, of justice and integrity as if they were the fabric of a life without effort being made, of the ability to tolerance and tolerance with others, and I wish I could be like him Or part of what he represented to us throughout his life.
Am I happy and happy when I see around his memory all this love and respect from everyone who worked with him and everyone who met him..
My father, my daughter, was an example we see in his love for his wife, my mother, and his eyes always look at her with affection and tenderness, and he advises us one by one to take care of her, to be close to her and to respect her desire, and each of us repeats to himself and says to his brother how he loves her this love, and every one of the family says For her husband, he dictated that she would be like him or even a part of him. The head of a family made every young and old, man and woman, a hope for them and an example and role model, even in the simplest matters of life.
I browse the life of this family in its spaciousness, he opened the horizons before us and achieved everything he dreamed of when we were young and made us a position in society that allows each one of us to set out his personal hopes from this position, gather this family in fun, entertainment, travel, seeing the world and being open to it, how many times Every young and old had a place with him, somewhere in the whole world.
A man who made seeking knowledge in this family and being serious about its acquisition and priority an integral part of our lives, and even pushed us, sometimes, and our children with support and assistance. A man who made good deeds and ongoing charity a hidden part in the life of each one of us. We believe in him.. from him, and work for him.. with him.
A man who made Saturday of every week a holiday that we seek with an unprecedented amount of love. He binds every small and large in the family together with a genius bond, beautiful, visible and hidden.. His place among us, his sitting in front of us, and his vision for us, will always be an unparalleled memory in our lives.
God kept his memory alive among us and gave us the ability to be like him. He has no equal, my daughter.
She said: With tears in her eyes, I wish every son and daughter would see their parents with your comprehensive look and your love.
I said: Every father and every mother of their children has no equal. So let’s celebrate them in their lives, and return the favor to them not only on Mother’s Day and Father’s Day, but every day of our lives.