Father's Day 2007

It's a beautiful Sunday morning and if the forecasters are correct, it will be a hot summer day even though summer doesn't officially start until Thursday. It's Father's Day and as always I am torn by these national recognition holidays. It's not to say I don't love my father however I simply don't believe in having to set aside an entire day to recognize the fact that we all have fathers. My philosophy is the same for Mother's Day too. Maybe because I didn't have a terrific childhood plays into my beliefs. Or maybe I simply think it's stupid to have to set aside a day to appreciate a parent simply because I believe every day is fathers day and every day is mother's day if you have children. In other countries, they don't have these days like we do but rather Children's Day. The offspring of the parents are revered as precious and are celebrated simply for being born. In turn, their parents are honored during key moments throughout the year including New Year's Eve and wedding day where the child must bow before the parents as a form of respect for life.

I know what you are thinking...she doesn't have children so she simply doesn't get it. You would be absolutely wrong with that assumption. I think it's great that children want to recognize all of the things their father's and/or mother's have done for them. However, like the concept of Christmas, I have a problem with the commercialization of the holiday. Are we supposed to believe that only once a year we need to rush out to buy a gift, plan a dinner, and find the right greeting card to express how we feel inside? I simply don't buy it. People use to be shocked when they would ask me in the days leading up to these two days what I was going to get for my mother or father. My response remains the same today..."I don't believe in celebrating Mother's Day or Father's Day." They are usually stunned but that's only because they don't look at it from all perspectives. With younger and younger parents out there these days and child abuse on the rise, it leads me to believe that we need Children's Day around here 24/7. So many parents these days are wrapped up in the idea of themselves that they forget that they have a responsibility to the person that they brought into this world. I don't know if I will ever have children, only time will tell. However, I do know this for a fact, if I do have children in this lifetime, I don't want them to celebrate these two days. I want them to celebrate that we are a family everyday and not when some national day says they should.

7:55am...Wow....I can't believe it. I was thinking about NahYong for the longest time and guess what...I received an email from her! She sent pictures of her daughter. I can't believe she has a family now! Good for her. I hope though that she finished her residency first. I can't wait to hear back from her to see how her life is going. More later.