For Father’s Day last Sunday, I gave my dad a card, a book about words (he’s a writer), and a coffee mug from the place where he celebrated 50 years of marriage to my mom. Following tradition, I also gave something to my husband Mark for being a great dad to our two kids. Well, actually the grill cover was from our dog Toby, but you can guess who bought it.
I asked Daniel, little Chris’s dad, what he did for Father’s Day. We had a good laugh when he said, “My wife couldn’t remember to tell me how good I am.” Isn’t that the truth, that it’s really up to the wife to honor her husband on behalf of their small children?
Nigerian Father’s Day brings to mind Baba, our cook at the Faith Alive guesthouse. The first time I visited, I thought Baba was his actual name. One day I got locked in my flat above the kitchen, so I went on the small balcony and hollered down to the kitchen. “BABA! BABA!” Imagine my surprise when a number of men on the street looked up to see a white woman hollering “FATHER! FATHER!”
Enjoy these African proverbs:
“If you know his father and grandfather, don’t worry about his son.” - African Proverb
“The son shoots a leopard; the father is proud.” - Congolese Proverb
“When you follow in the path of your father, you learn to walk like him.” - Ghanaian Proverb
“A mother is gold, a father is a mirror.” - Nigerian proverb
(Photo is of Baba, courtesy of Cathy McDermott. I still don’t know his real name!)
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