HAPPY FATHER’S DAY! This is the day to celebrate our fathers, the true men who have been there for their wives and children, making a difference in their children’s and the community’s lives.

A Brief History of Father’s Day

In the United States, the first event recorded in honor of fathers was held on July 5, 1908, in a West Virginia church to honor the hundreds of men who died in a coal mine explosion. The next year, Sonora Smart Dodd, the daughter of a widower who raised his six children as a single dad in Spokane, Washington, began to work for the equivalent of Mother’s Day for male parents.

With the help of local churches, the YMCA, shopkeepers, and government officials, she worked to generate support for her idea. Her effort was successful when Washington State celebrated the nation’s first statewide Father’s Day on June 19, 1910.

The Importance of Fathers

Today, fathers are recognized for their love, guidance, and willingness to be involved in their children’s lives. However, the downside is that too many fathers are not living up to their responsibility. According to the 2020 U.S. Census, approximately 1 in 4 children currently live without a biological father in the household.

Now, experts emphasize that a physical absence doesn’t equal abandonment. Many fathers fight to remain in their children’s lives despite a parental split. On this Father’s Day, let’s pay our respects to fathers who have assumed their proper role in their children’s lives and thank them for guidance, love, and support.

Original reporting: The Tuscaloosa Thread — read the source article.