Given the important roles fathers have played in the development and success of many a successful person, it’s hardly surprising that they often feel the need to honour them in poem, prose and performance.
The greatest literary minds in particular have put pen to paper to express their love and respect – some of which ends up even better than the verse you’ll find in the average Father’s Day card.
So take a break from seeking out the perfect Father’s Day Gifts and be inspired by GettingPersonal.co.uk’s collection of timeless quotes on the subject of fatherhood.
You can always rely on the great wit Mark Twain to sum up the special father-child relationship:
When I was a boy of fourteen, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be twenty-one, I was astonished at how much he had learned in seven years.
Who doesn’t identify with that sentiment? Charles Wadsworth takes it a step further when he says:
By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong.
Even Robbie Williams accepts the inevitable in the first verse of his hit Strong:
… And when I’m drunk I dance like my dad.
I’ve started to dress a bit like him …
(GettingPersonal.co.uk would like to point out that we do not condone dancing like one’s dad.)
So there’s a theme here – that eventually we all start to shed our youthful naivety and stubbornness in favour of the more laid-back, seasoned approach exemplified by our fathers.
Perhaps it is a wise father who lets his children learn from their own mistakes rather than try to impose an overbearing will on them. They’ll grow up with their own personalities and dreams, and they are the most important things we can attain.
The ancients must have known a thing or two about fatherhood or the human race would have been replaced by cockroaches by now. And sure enough, they have left us enough clues about their attitudes to fatherhood that has created great civilisations and dynasties. Let’s start with Confucius:
The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally as guilty as the son who neglects them.
The idea of the father as a guide and a moral guardian certainly spans continents and centuries. A character in Homer’s Odyssey says that it is “a wise child that knows his own father”, but perhaps Shakespeare’s modified version rings truer:
It is a wise father that knows his child.
After all, isn’t a sign of wisdom to understand your own limitations and how to rectify them? Sigmund Freud too, in trying to explain everything that makes us tick, struggled to get past the idea that the relationships with our fathers play a vital role in shaping our attitudes and life choices:
I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father’s protection.
Although his motivation was to further his scientific investigations into the human condition, perhaps he stumbled upon a universal truth that explains why you care for your father and why you’ll happily spend weeks looking for Father’s Day gifts that are really just a tiny annual repayment towards the massive investment he made in you.
Finally, just in case your father starts to get a little smug about the greatness attributed to his kind, how about reminding him of this bittersweet observation by the great humourist Helen Rowland:
A man’s desire for a son is usually nothing but the wish to duplicate himself in order that such a remarkable pattern may not be lost to the world.
Of course, you will probably agree, whilst simultaneously hoping that the duplication wasn’t too perfect – especially if you’re his daughter …
GettingPersonal.co.uk are one of the UK’s leading on-line retailers of Gifts, personalised gifts and Fathers Day Gifts. Their website is packed with over 1,500 gifts for any special occasion.
For more go to www.gettingpersonal.co.uk
I found a video that illustrate the fathers day gifts. I hope this video can explain more our understanding about fathers day gifts
Folks, I got an email ask about fathers day gifts. Please, if you know better I hope you will help me to answer it.
Fathers day gifts for father-to-be?
I want to get my husband something for fathers day even though he isnt a father quite yet, he will be in december (: What is something he will like that is simple and cheap? I dont have a job so I dont have a lot of money to spend, and im stumped!
Thanks.
daniabrooks
You can shop Philgifts.com, they'd had been serving many Filipino's for almost 7 years now.
They've got ton's of available Gifts in thier website such as Perfume, chocolates, bouquets, gourmet and many more.
My Auntie used to send gifts through that website. and we really appreciate their services.
During special ocassion, if im not mistaken, they used to have promo's and frebies, just like last mothers day, my mom is happy recieving 2 handbags, supposedly she should receive only one. but the other bag is free. for sure this coming fathers day they will be having surprises.
Hope it help.
guys are pretty simple, we usually arent too complicated, i would recommended ebay, and stuff like bbq items (especially with summer coming up) any knife, cologne, golf and fishing stuff is good too
here is an ebay store with lots of guy stuff
http://shop.ebay.com/merchant/marki3_mark_W0QQ_nkwZQQ_armrsZ1QQ_fromZQQ_mdoZ
Godparents day is the first Sunday in June. Originally it was celebrated on New Years Day, but most parishes nowadays celebrate it during Mass the first Sunday in June.
I would not celebrate godparents day on Mother's day or Fathers day. Those days are special for parents….and should be restricted to parents.
I think it would be better if you just took the godparents out to brunch after church on that Sunday in June. Give them pictures of the kids. Something nice, not huge….like a 5X7 school picture.
He will love what ever you make him. My brother and I put our hand prints on a white T-Shirt that said "Best Dad Hands Down" on it. he loved it!
One year, My mom dug up snapshots of me and my brother. We made a story book,a dn on each page there was a picture of us, and it went from when we were born (pictures at the hospital) to when we were the age we were at the present. It was leatherbound, and really easy, glue and paste, and kids can do it too. The story went something like "Once there were a Mom and Dad in love…" (shows picture of the father and wife) "And then they had a beautful baby.." It sounds cheesy, But with the spontaneous pictures and thoughtfullness, and of course originality, its sure to spread a tear of happiness more than any other gift would.
You can still get him a nice gift without spending too much. There's still time for a personalized gifts such as a framed photo or custom-engraved shirt or cap. There are some great History-Channel-esque DVDs available that he will probably like. Does he play golf? I love the personalized golf balls with custom photos on them of you and the kids. They are campy and hilarious. Check out the Father's Day gifts for senior men under $25 at Gifts.com.
An electric razor, toothbrush. I giving my Dad a nice aloha shirt.
Add to any gift a list of the reasons why you appreciate him. Perhaps have it inscribed on a wall plague.
Please don't get a joke card. In my 20+ years of working with fathers, it has been rare that a joke card that makes fun of his abilities is really appreciated.
I wrote this to "Dear Abby" for Father's Day, March 19, 2005.
APPRECIATION FOR JOB WELL DONE IS WHAT FATHERS WANT TO HEAR
DEAR ABBY: Today is Father's Day, so why don't we try to do more for dear old Dad than give him the usual greeting card that promotes the idea that all dads are imbeciles, followed by a collect call to see what he thought of the card. (Father's Day is the day when the most collect calls are made.)
We should treat our fathers the way we treat our mothers on Mother's Day and show them we appreciate them for being there. Yes, you probably tell your father all the time that you love him, but the minds of men work differently. Anyone can say "I love you," but as men, knowing that we are appreciated for a job well done is what really gets us teary-eyed.
Something else you can do — especially you sons out there (but daughters can do it, too) — is to make sure Dad has been to the doctor for a checkup, including depression screening. This can go a long way toward making sure he's here on Father's Day next year.
I wasn't raised by my father, but by a stepfather. Although we did not see eye-to-eye on many things, I would not be the person I am today if it were not for him. This man, who spent years climbing on top of heavy construction equipment to prepare the ground for many of the homes, businesses, roads and highways of Southern California, now finds it difficult to get into a car. Although none of the houses or roads have his name on them, they are all testaments to his life and the lives of men like him.
So today, let's do something extra for Dad, without him pulling out his wallet to pay for it. — George McCasland, Overland Park, Kansas
***************************************************************
Remember, there's a lot of us fathers sitting in nursing homes whose children live too far away to visit. Contact an activities director about volunteering Sunday morning. Read a list out loud about why you appreciated your father.
Add to any gift a list of the reasons why you appreciate him. Perhaps have it inscribed on a wall plague.
Please don't get a joke card. In my 20+ years of working with fathers, it has been rare that a joke card that makes fun of his abilities is really appreciated.
I wrote this to "Dear Abby" for Father's Day, March 19, 2005.
APPRECIATION FOR JOB WELL DONE IS WHAT FATHERS WANT TO HEAR
DEAR ABBY: Today is Father's Day, so why don't we try to do more for dear old Dad than give him the usual greeting card that promotes the idea that all dads are imbeciles, followed by a collect call to see what he thought of the card. (Father's Day is the day when the most collect calls are made.)
We should treat our fathers the way we treat our mothers on Mother's Day and show them we appreciate them for being there. Yes, you probably tell your father all the time that you love him, but the minds of men work differently. Anyone can say "I love you," but as men, knowing that we are appreciated for a job well done is what really gets us teary-eyed.
Something else you can do — especially you sons out there (but daughters can do it, too) — is to make sure Dad has been to the doctor for a checkup, including depression screening. This can go a long way toward making sure he's here on Father's Day next year.
I wasn't raised by my father, but by a stepfather. Although we did not see eye-to-eye on many things, I would not be the person I am today if it were not for him. This man, who spent years climbing on top of heavy construction equipment to prepare the ground for many of the homes, businesses, roads and highways of Southern California, now finds it difficult to get into a car. Although none of the houses or roads have his name on them, they are all testaments to his life and the lives of men like him.
So today, let's do something extra for Dad, without him pulling out his wallet to pay for it. — George McCasland, Overland Park, Kansas
***************************************************************
Remember, there's a lot of us fathers sitting in nursing homes whose children live too far away to visit. Contact an activities director about volunteering Sunday morning. Read a list out loud about why you appreciated your father.