The idea of a day to celebrate fathers was broached by Sonora Louise Smart (later known as Sonora Smart Dodd), who was the only daughter of her parents, along with five sons. At 16, her mum died at childbirth leaving the infant, Sonora, and four others to her husband, William Jackson Smart.
Smart took on the task of widower and single father just as well as he did his role as a soldier in the American civil war. His daughter who was sixteen at the time of the tragedy marveled at her father’s diligence.
Thus, she felt fatherhood needed to have its own observance, just like Mother’s Day. Father’s Day would celebrate fathers for the work they put into their domestic job description.
Smart suggested Father’s Day for June 5, her father’s birthday, when she made the proposal to the Spokane Ministerial Alliance, Washington, in 1910. The clergymen chose the third Sunday instead, so they could prepare appropriately.
Thus came about the creation of a special day for fathers. The day has further evolved to celebrate not just fathers but also fatherhood, father figures and the contribution of fathers to the society.
Hence, as the origin of Father’s Day was to celebrate a great man, we are raising our glasses this year again to phenomenal dads, stepdads, granddads, godfathers and father figures generally. We appreciate all you do.
We created a short list - a gift guide - to inspire ideas to say thank you to the father or father figure in your life. It bears repeating here with more context.
A Gift Card: You could keep things simple this year and let dad decide what he wants for himself. That’s what a gift card would do. Since you already know some of his preferences, you can let that determine the gift card he gets.
Tickets to watch his favourite sports team (with his friends): Does he love the Calgary Flames, or is he a soccer fan? Or perhaps he’s often glued to the NBA. What a pleasant shock he would get if you handed him tickets to go see his favourite team or watch his favourite sports bright in the arena!
Dinner with the rest of the family: Dad and Mum are now empty nesters, getting to speak with you and big brother only via zoom. Show up like a bolt from the blue this Father’s Day and whisk them to a fancy restaurant. Remind him how he set aside work to be at your games or other competitions.
Paid vacation: You could take it several notches higher with a paid vacation to a holiday destination you’ve heard him mention many times before: a boat cruise to the Caribbean, the Maldives, Santorini, Bora Bora or perhaps some other Pacific island paradise.
Fashion accessories: We think a little vanity is allowed on this special day. Even though he’s got all the fashion items in the world and can spare two wardrobes and more, well… just do it - loafers, leather wallets, exquisite timepieces, or a pair of aviator sunglasses that turns him into a Tom Cruise doppelganger.
Personalised gift box: Imagine a gift box with quotes by your siblings and you or short stories reminiscing your childhood with him guiding you through life and some objects from that era (if you can find any). There’s no standard here, you could get creative with it.
A massage session: What if all he needs are magical hands kneading the pain away from his weary body? He’ll finish up with sound and deep sleep and his soul would be grateful.
Say Thank You: But what if you’ve beat us to it and exhausted this list long before now? Well, never underestimate the power of genuine gratitude. So, a heartfelt thank you for the memorable years past.
If you’re reading this and you are a dad, then cheers to you, amazing dad and Happy Father’s Day. ABM College is proud to be in your corner.
Just in case you’ve been thinking about changing careers - something in business, health or technology - then you are in the right place. At ABM College, we provide you with education that gets you hired. We are focused on courses in the health, technology and business sectors and you can start any month you wish.
For further details about our courses, duration and so on, go to our website and we’ll take it from there.
Happy Father’s Day!
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