This day always seems to pass my family by, although we seem to have no problem remembering to celebrate Mother's Day. Maybe it's because by Father's Day we're already on vacation and that's a gift in it and of itself. Or maybe vacation makes it difficult to plan things and gather resources as we don't know where we'll be or what we'll be doing (at least my family doesn't; we're not much for planning).
I started feeling a little guilty. Do I love one parent more than the other? (That'd be horrible!!) I googled "mother's day vs. father's day" to see whether or not it was all in my head. It's not. Apparently we spend about 40% more for Mother's Day than we do for Father's Day. Do you find that that's true for you too?
What I find hardest about getting presents for parents is that they seem to already have what they want, or if they don't, it's not something I could get them, or even if I could, I'd just be using their money to buy it for them, and if they haven't bought it for themselves already, there's probably a reason like they'd rather invest their money in something else. So for that reason, I personally don't find gift guides too helpful. The Father's Day ones are mostly just varieties of hats, watches, and speakers anyways.
Did you know: "Mother's Day was originally founded as a day when children would give a hand-written thank-you letter to their Mum. Anna Jarvis, who started the day as a memorial to her own mother, was so appalled at the holiday's subsequent commercialisation that she staged protests against Mother's Day. On the other hand, Father's Day founder Sonora Dodd worked tirelessly to commercialise the holiday, as a way to ensure that it caught on with the American public. Some of the biggest backers were menswear trade groups, perhaps explaining to this day why Dad always gets a tie or socks." (x)
Let's use this special day to show some love. How often do you tell your parents you love them? For me, certainly not enough. Sure, before they leave the house, my parents always call out "I love you!" and from behind my screen or under my covers I yell it back to them and then resume my activities, but when was the last time I properly thanked them I expressed how much I appreciate them?
I remember my parents would always make me and my brother sleep really early. Well, as early as any elementary school student should. They'd haul us into bed, throw the covers over us, turn off the lights, and then leave and do parent things I suppose. After awhile I figured out their routine, so one night, after our parents left the room, I poked my brother and whispered to him, "They're gone now! We can talk!" All of a sudden, an incredulous gasp escaped from under the bed and my dad popped out with his hands waving in the air: "What did you say??" Plot twist. Laughing hysterically, my brother and I yanked the covers over our heads and flopped onto our stomachs to protect ourselves from the Tickle Monster.
I remember snapping this picture and then my dad coming up next to me saying, "That's not how you do it." He proceeded to whip out his phone and point out certain functions I wasn't taking full advantage of. I tucked my phone away and looked toward the sky in exasperation whining, "Daaad!" Imagine how ridiculous it is to see two people standing right next to each other with their phones out taking pictures in the suburbs of the same ordinary, nothing special thing. Tourists in our own home. My dad tends to get excited bonding over our common interest in photography, which I love him for, but c'mon, I was just trying to get a quick picture for Instagram. Ah well, that's my dad for ya.
He really tries to be a part of my life. Do you know how hard that is for a parent whose kid is in high school or college? No matter how many times I roll my eyes or leave in a huff or screw up my face when he tries to take pictures of me, he's always there when I ask for him and even when I don't.
The perfect gift can't be found looking through a gift guide. The good news is that you don't need a perfect gift. I think there's nothing more my dad would enjoy than a good conversation with good people. And maybe throw in some words of appreciation while we're at it. In this day and age where our eyes are glued to our screens, good ol' conversation isn't as easy to come by as it used to be!
PS: I wrote this post five hours ago and then got distracted watching YouTube vlogs. For five hours.