I have watched and studied my father since I was young and I have seen the struggles he has faced as a man and as a father. The overwhelming societal expectations and pressure to become a responsible man. Providing for us while still trying to be available and present in our lives has been challenging. The inability to express his emotions due to traditional masculinity discouragement and the stress of bearing the burden of being the primary breadwinner. Always prioritizing our needs over his while neglecting his mental health and well-being.

It was three days to Father's Day and no one said anything about getting gifts for father which was no surprise at all. I have always been amused about how worked up my father gets trying to make Mother's Day special for my mother. We wouldn't hear the last of it if my father had forgotten about it or gotten her the wrong gift.

This time around I wanted to celebrate my father and as the eldest child I felt it was the right thing to do. I had no idea of what to get my father, I asked my siblings for assistance but all the gifts they thought of wasn't enough to appreciate my father for all his love and sacrifices for us. I sat at our verandah staring at nothing in particular while lost in my thoughts. I felt someone tap me, and I turned to see my younger brother, he was just eight years old. He whispered something in my ear and I smiled and high-fived him. I took his hand and headed back inside to tell my mother and my other siblings the gift we should give father.

On Father's Day, my mother, my three siblings and I woke up very early and we tried to be as quiet as we could. We decorated the house, while my mother prepared his favourite dishes and even baked a cake for him. I selected his finest outfits, his favourite TV shows and kept for him. When we were done, we all went to serve him breakfast in bed and wish him happy father's day.

The gift we gave our father was a day off from everything; from being a responsible man, a breadwinner, and a father. We wanted him to rest and enjoy himself for a day, a day to have his own “Me Time” and not bother about meeting expectations. It was all my younger siblings idea and my mother after so much convincing agreed to help out.

At the end of Father's Day, my father was grateful for how we had thought of making the day special for him. My mother had never seen my father so cheerful, from that day on, my mother made it a point to prioritize making father's day a very big day for my father.

Happy Father's Day to all the amazing Fathers there!!