By Valerie Knopik.
Fathers come in all forms – biological, step, traditional, non-traditional, uncles, brothers, friends, single mothers who take on the role of both mother and father, you name it. Let’s honor these father figures in our lives today (and how about everyday!) by foregoing the traditional Father’s Day gifts and instead giving them the gift of our TIME and by extension, the gift of CONNECTION.
My father had to take on the roles of both mother and father when my mom passed away from cancer when I was 12. I’ve given him countless ‘traditional’ gifts of golf balls and World’s Best Dad coffee mugs. However, the most special times that I’ve had have been when I’ve sat with him in the kitchen and started asking questions about how he bought his first house, or what it was like to be let go from a job when he had three young children and a wife at home. Or when I asked him to teach me how to make his famous coleslaw or his traditional Polish holiday breads. It’s in those moments, even when he’s schooling me on the intricacies of cutting cabbage or kneading dough, that the most lovely and lasting memories are made.
These memories will allow me to tell his story to my children, and then they can pass along his stories to their families. In this world where we are ‘virtually connected’ to so many people yet often feel so alone, we invite you to spend this day giving the most amazing gift…the gift of your time and attention, and ultimately, the gift of connection. Happy Father’s Day from all of us at Yoga Medicine! May your day be filled with love, light, and true, authentic connection.
