Every year we celebrate the fathers that guide us, inspire us and protect us. Why are fathers so important? As a daughter to a father, I always thought of my dad as the protector and entertainer. He was always the one to make us laugh, wrestle with us and play pretend. He was also the disciplinarian. You didn’t want to make him angry, not just us, anyone, he always stood up for his girls and made sure we knew what was right. Whatever your father is to you, it is important to celebrate him and recognize him. I do believe sometimes it’s not easy being a father, especially to three girls!

Father’s day originated from Mother’s day. Mother’s day was initiated by feminist and activist Julia Ward Howe issuing a “Mother’s Day Proclamation” during the Civil War. However, Mother’s Day did not become an official holiday until 1908 when Jarvis’s daughter Anna wanted to celebrate her own mother. In 1914 president Woodrow Wilson made it a federal holiday. So if we celebrate mothers shouldn’t we celebrate fathers?

During the 1920s and 1930s a movement to get rid of Mother’s Day and have one “parent’s day” emerged. Pro- parent’s day groups rallied in New York City’s Central Park to remind everyone that both parents are equally important and therefore there should be one day, parent’s day. However, the depression brought about struggling retailers and advertisers doubling their efforts to make Father’s Day a “second Christmas” pushing ties, golf clubs and pipes. Once World War II began, advertisers argued that Father’s Day was a way to celebrate and honor the American troops. In 1972 Richard Nixon signed a proclamation making Father’s Day a federal holiday. Today Americans spend more than $1 billion each year on Father’s Day gifts.

However you celebrate Father’s Day, remember that it is not always about the gifts or grand gestures, it is about the time. As we grow older, it is natural to feel like you don’t always need your dad, especially when he is still trying to impart his wisdom on you, but remember what he did for you when you were young. Dads just want to make sure their children are happy and successful, as would any parent. Dads are something to cherish and they deserve to be recognized and appreciated.