In comparison to the countless number of tributes paid to honour mothers in prose,verse and art , those done in recognition of fathers are very little. Even though fathers love their children as deeply as mothers do, and they are totally dedicated to their children, they virtually take a back seat when it comes to singing the praises of parental love. Even in our motherland, many would refer to the mother as gedera Budun (the Buddha at home) to personify her importance and the significant role she plays at home.

However, the father who is traditionally accepted and respected as the head of the household warrants no such laurels. But, as a father points out in a popular Sinhala song (Amma Sandaki),there aren't enough poems written about the depth of a father's love today.In this song the father states that while the mother is the moon he is the silver Sun in that world,

( Amma sandaki mama e lova hiruya ridi.).

He also goes on to ask whether a child does not realise the depth and tenderness of a father's love. Stressing the fact that the love in the depths of his heart for his child is immeasurable he ponders as to why his blood too did not turn into milk at the strength of that love. The lyrics of this song are really overwhelming with emotion and speak volumes for the need to focus more attention about the love of fathers.

A father is virtually like an unsung hero in the lives of most children. Perhaps, due to the commanding role he plays as the head of the family many children find it hard to express the deep love and affection they have for their fathers. Some hero worship them,are in awe of them and love them to death but they are not able to display their emotions as freely as they would to their mothers.

It is no secret that a father toils his entire life to ensure that his offspring is given the best he could afford,taken good care of and are well protected from all kind of dangers and challenges of life. He too like a mother centres his entire world around his children and works towards the same goal as would any mother. But, somehow his love, dedication and compassion pales besides that of a mother's.This may be because a mother becomes more physically bonded with her child than a father; not only does she carry the child in her body for nine months putting her entire life at risk from the moment of conception, but she also nourishes the baby with her own blood .So, a mother's love is truly unique and unparalelled but this does not mean a father's love is insignificant. He too needs to be loved, respected and honoured for all that he does to love andnurture his children .

Perhaps most of you took the opportunity to do so on Father's Day which was celebrated on June 19.

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When God created fathers

When the good Lord was creating fathers he started with a tall frame. And a female angel nearby said, "What kind of Father is that? If you're going to make children so close to the ground, why have you put fathers up so high? He won't be able to shoot marbles without kneeling, tuck a child in bed without bending, or even kiss a child without a lot of stooping."

And God smiled and said, "Yes, but if I make him child size, who would children have to look up to?"

And when God made a Father's hands, they were large and sinewy. And the angel shook her head sadly and said, "Do you know what you're doing? Large hands are clumsy. They can't manage diaper pins, small buttons, rubber bands on pony tails or even remove splinters caused by baseball bats."

And God smiled and said, "I know, but they're large enough to hold everything a small boy empties from his pockets at the end of a day...yet small enough to cup a child's face in his hands." And then God moulded long, slim legs and broad shoulders. And the angel nearly had a heart attack. "Boy, this is the end of the week, all right," she clucked. "Do you realise you just made a father without a lap? How is he going to pull a child close to him without the kid falling between his legs?"

And God smiled and said, "A mother needs a lap. A father needs strong shoulders to pull a sledge, balance a boy on a bicycle, and hold a sleepy head on the way home from the circus." God was in the middle of creating two of the largest feet anyone had ever seen when the angel could contain herself no longer. "That's not fair. Do you honestly think those large boats are going to dig out of bed early in the morning when the baby cries? Or walk through a small birthday party without crushing at least three of the guests?" And God smiled and said, "They'll work. You'll see. They'll support a small child who wants to ride a horse to Banbury Cross, or scare off mice at the summer cabin, or display shoes that will be a challenge to fill."

God worked throughout the night, giving the Father few words, but a firm authoritative voice; eyes that saw everything, but remained calm and tolerant. Finally, almost as an afterthought, he added tears. Then he turned to the angel and said, "Now, are you satisfied that he can love as much as a Mother?"

The angel shutteth up. "Children's children are the crown of old men, and the glory of children is their father." (Proverbs 17:7). - Erma Bombec

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Dear father...

You're the person I admire most,

I observe how you do things.

You're always giving what I want,

You're always there to help me.

You're a kind-hearted person,

Who taught me good things, and cared for me.

You never worry about things,

And you're always calm.

In this four and ten years of my life,

You have never been hard on me.

Like I have you in this life,

I wish, I could have you in all my future lives.

Umesha Piyarathna,

Grade 8H,

Ecole International,

Digana.

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A loving thought

This isn't a poem of gratitude,

This isn't a song of praise,

This isn't a story of fairies,

But a loving thought for my dad.

It's hard to become a good doctor,

It's hard to become a creative writer,

It's hard to become a clever engineer,

But very hard to become a loving father.

Life is a very short journey,

I feel so sad dear father,

Why was I late to fly,

Come under your comfortable wings?

I love you so much dad,

Contented and happy with your love,

Thank you God for the love I receive,

And a father who is my sheltering dove.

Angela Fernando,

Grade 10,

St. Lawrence's Convent,

Colombo 6.

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The person I admire most

The person I admire most is my father. His name is Champike Hemachandra. He is an engineer. His office is in Colombo.

He loves me and my sister very much. Every evening when he comes home he goes through my lessons. At weekends he takes my mother, my sister and me out in his car for a drive. Usually we go to our aunt's house. My father, uncle and all of us go to the beach.

My father is a kind-hearted person. But sometimes he is strict. He has good qualities. That is why I admire and love him. I too like to follow in his footsteps.

Denuka Hemachandra,

Lyceum International School,

Yakkala.

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What makes a dad

God took the strength of a mountain,

The majesty of a tree,

The warmth of a summer sun,

The calm of a quiet sea,

The generous soul of nature,

The comforting arm of night,

The wisdom of the ages,

The power of the eagle's flight,

The joy of a morning in spring,

The faith of a mustard seed,

The patience of eternity,

The depth of a family need,

Then God combined these qualities,

When there was nothing more to add,

He knew His masterpiece was complete,

And so,

He called it ... Dad

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A dad is ...

A dad is someone who wants to catch you before you fall but instead picks you up,brushes you off, and lets you try again. A dad is someone who wants to keep you from making mistakes but instead lets you find your own way,even though his heart breaks in silence when you get hurt.

A dad is someone who holds you when you cry, scolds you when you break the rules, shines with pride when you succeed,and has faith in you even when you fail...

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Letter to my son

Until you have a son of your own . . . you will never know the joy, the love beyond feeling that resonates in the heart of a father as he looks upon his son.

You will never know the sense of honour that makes a man want to be more than he is and to pass something good and hopeful into the hands of his son.

And you will never know the heartbreak of the fathers who are haunted by the personal demons that keep them from being the men they want their sons to be.

- Keznt Nerburn 1917

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Father, daughter bond

They say that from the instant he lays eyes on her, a father adores his daughter.

Whoever she grows up to be, she is always to him that little girl in pigtails. She makes him feel like Christmas. In exchange, he makes a secret promise not to see the awkwardness of her teenage years, the mistakes she makes or the secrets she keeps. - Unknown

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A child's opinion...

* 4 years: My Daddy can do anything!

* 7 years: My Dad knows a lot - a whole lot

* 8 years: My father does not know quite everything.

* 12 years: Oh well, naturally Father does not know that either.

* 14 years: Oh, Father? He is hopelessly old-fashioned.

* 21 years: Oh, that man-he is out of date!

* 25 years: He knows a little bit about it, but not much

* 30 years: I must find out what Dad thinks about it.

* 35 years: Before we decide, we will get Dad's idea first.

* 50 years: What would Dad have thought about that?

* 60 years: My Dad knew literally everything!

* 65 years: I wish I could talk it over with Dad once more.

-Unknown

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Quotes about fathers

For thousands of years, father and son have stretched wistful hands across the canyon of time, each eager to help the other to his side, but neither quite able to desert the loyalties of his contemporaries. The relationship is always changing and hence always fragile; nothing endures except the sense of difference.

-- Alan Valentine

By the time a man realises that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he's wrong.

-- Charles Wadsworth

You don't have to deserve your mother's love. You have to deserve your father's. He's more particular.

-- Robert Frost

A father is a banker provided by nature.

-- French Proverb

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection.

-- Sigmund Freud

Any man can be a Father but it takes someone special to be a dad.

-- Anne Geddes

Fathers, like mothers, are not born. Men grow into fathers - and fathering is a very important stage in their development.

-- David M. Gottesman

He didn't tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.

- Clarence Budington Kelland

The greatest gift I ever had came from God, and I call him dad!

- Anonymous