Another Hallmark Holiday is upon us. People are scurrying to grab a Father’s Day Card from the miniscule selection at the local card store. As I peruse the cards for my own father, I come across an interesting design. It is a tad unusual Father’s Day card with a flower design and letters shaped like curls. Upon closer inspection, the title of the card says, “For you Mom on Father’s Day.” I am flabbergasted. Is it too much for our society to recognize us fathers holding it down on the one small day in which we are to be celebrated? Apparently it is.

I don’t want to sound like I am anti-single mother, or that I don’t understand how single mothers that do the best they can to raise their kids without the deadbeat dad around, or the true female warriors who attempt to straddle the fence of gender and provide as much of a masculine role model for their kids. But the nerve of our society to go out and celebrate the destruction of our American households by continuing to remove the male figure from homes by highlighting the female head of household. Of all the days to do this, it had to be a Father’s Day greeting? Can we not relegate this acknowledgement for mothers to the extremely popular and more socially aware on Mother’s Day? (Bring out the trumpets and horns while rolling out the red carpet.)

Granted, there are deadbeat dads amongst us. And for another day I shall rant about them as well, but today, on Father’s Day, we are to relish those things a male figure brings to his kids, the bond the father has created with his sons and daughters, or proud feelings exhibited by his kids as they hand daddy a five dollar plastic trophy from Target claiming “#1 Dad!” How about the yearly excursion to Red Lobster to treat dad to his favorite meal? It doesn’t take much to please a man. You won’t get too much push back about the type of gift on a day like Father’s Day. In fact, you’ll probably get none. Just give him his day.

Most of us real fathers, not the sperm donors, are offended when we see cards congratulating mothers on being “fathers” to their kids. Facebook and Instagram will provide millions of shout-outs to the women taking on the male role. We are offended because it continues to minimize an important role in life. God designed fathers for a reason and that reason has been manipulated, altered, and scrambled to an unrecognizable definition. It is common place in many communities that the father barely has a reason for existence although people’s mouths say otherwise. Don’t pretend the father has an important role to the family then conflict it by giving accolades to the single mother. We have to nip this in the bud if we want healthy communities and our children to respect and desire a male role model in their lives.

If my rant is offensive so be it. Not as a disrespect, but as a measure to gain respect. I am a single father who wants my voice to be heard. I desire men all over our country to stand together and demand the respect as a father – through all of our successes and misfires. If we stand before you, our female counterparts, and work in unison, there is nothing we can’t do together. We all stand in agreement with this ideology. Therefore, do me a favor and kindly give us our 15 minutes of glory alone. We are simple creatures that need to feel important every once in a while.

Daddy Dan & the Fathers of the World