Today is Father’s Day, and I want to use this opportunity to appreciate fathers.
Fathers are the foundation of families, societies, and communities. The responsibility of building and providing the right environment for everyone to thrive rests heavily upon their shoulders. Whenever the pressure of building becomes too much and they collapse, it affects the family, it affects society, and it affects the community at large.
That is why I want to appreciate the fathers who are holding it strong, who have not allowed the immense weight of this responsibility to weigh them down. I know that sometimes men don't handle it well. Some become silent, unable to express the heavy burden that they bear. Some express their frustration in unhealthy ways. But at the root of all these things is a man trying to be everything at once: the provider, the priest, the nurturer, the friend, the husband, the builder that society demands.
Today, I want to give them their flowers, because they are doing amazing work.
You only truly understand the gravity of the work your father did when you become a man yourself.
You might not see it growing up, but as you get older, the picture becomes clear. You suddenly see the reasons why your father was always silent, why he sometimes isolated himself, why he didn't buy the new clothes you thought he had the money to buy. All of these things are silent sacrifices made on our behalf, simply because a father wants his family to do better than himself.
Being a builder myself, I know the sheer amount of resources that are poured into foundations. I know that the weight of the entire building rests entirely on that foundation. But nobody sees the foundation after everything has been constructed. They only see the beauty of the house.
The same is true for fathers. Nobody sees your hard work. Nobody sees the things you do behind the scenes. They only see the beautiful family, the strong sons and amazing daughters that you have raised, the beautiful wives, but they don't know what you had to endure to build that. Today, I am telling you from a man's perspective: I see it now. I understand it now.
I want to appreciate every father today, starting with my own. To my late father, Ichie Kevin Awoke, I still have vivid memories of playing with him when he was alive, and those moments showed me exactly how a man and a child should relate.
To my pastors, from the time I joined Dominion City: Pastor CJ, Pastor Emma MB, Pastor Joe, and the ultimate, Reverend David Ogbueli. These men have, in one way or another, contributed profoundly to the formation of my character and the person I am becoming. They still look out for me, even up to today.
And to the other father figures in my professional life: My boss, Engineer Luke, who provided a platform for me to learn the basics of construction and gave me the space to thrive.
To Architect Ifesi, thank you for the opportunity to learn under your watch. The training wasn't easy, but it was necessary. You didn't hand me soft lessons; you exposed me to a whole lot of difficult tasks that stretched my limits. Today, I am deeply grateful for that rigor, because the knowledge and resilience you built into me have not only shaped my career but have directly translated into the value I bring to my work today.
I use this opportunity to appreciate all of you.
To all the fathers out there: I understand your pain. I understand what you are doing. I know that God equipped you to do this, but beyond the provision and beyond the protection, I know what you feel. Today is your day. I want you to take your flowers and know that you are deeply appreciated. We love you. We see you.
May God continue to strengthen you to do your work. May He continue to hold you, because you are the foundation. May He strengthen you so that you will never break.
Thank you for being our fathers.