Fathers Day!

My North Star!!

I always call on him during my life,

When I'm in need,

Or whenever I'm in danger

And I need to be strong..

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When I have a burning question,

Or whenever I feel sick,

When someone is saying something offensive to me,

Or when things are not going well.

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On such occasions he comes to me,

And he puts me at my ease,

He takes the burden of my troubles from me,

And I'm not worried in the least anymore.

In this little poem, I try to express the specific characteristic of fatherhood, regarding the support our fathers give us through life's difficulties. By the way, our mothers also support us, but today my emphasis is on the fathers!

As for my own father, he supported me whenever I struggled as a boy growing up. Although I had no problem with my learning ability, I had quite a few other problems. As a teenager I was an utter weakling, and I also had asthma. Therefore, I was no use at hurling. That's a big disadvantage, especially when you're attending Kieran’s College, Kilkenny. I was left out of the heart of things and so I was very lonely. I was a boarding school student at the College, and I had to quickly develop my personal independence. Because I was an weaakling, the bullies always picked on me. My self-esteem was under attack with that behavior. But I was ashamed and I didn't say anything to my father. His support would only make the situation worse, because my father was a teacher in the same College. Anyway, I remained silent. You'd think my dad wouldn't know what was going on, let alone give me any help. But, you wouldn't be right!

I still don't know how my father found out what was going on. He found a creative solution for my situation. The bullies never hit me, because then they would be kicked out of school for misbehaving. But the bullies were still harassing me, using words instead of closed fists. It would have been better for me if it was physical harassment, no doubt. My father also realized that the greatest danger was psychological damage, and devised a solution to combat that.

The solution to the problem?

My father suggested positive and creative strategies for me, without pretending that they had anything to do with the bullying that was going on. I had no clue about it, either! My father emphasized the things I had a particular passion and talent for and told me there was nothing I couldn't do. He gave me courage whenever I was down and gave me a lift. Never yield, he said, to anyone you compete with, because he has the same doubts as you. My father awakened and encouraged my love of reading, although I already enjoyed learning everything at school. He opened the doors to many opportunities for me, and I ran through them fearlessly.

What about the bullies? When they realized they couldn't have the same effect on me anymore, they stopped bothering me and had to find new victims who would be easier to terrorize.

That was a very clever solution because my father managed to kill two birds with one stone. First of all, he defeated the bullies, because fresh meat was no longer available to them. Secondly, he built up my self-confidence by clearly showing that he trusted me completely. That positive attitude stayed with me from then on up to this day. With that very positive attitude, I am not afraid to try anything I want to do in my life. That way, I learn and develop every day. I am deeply indebted to my father Peadar Bairéad for that, God bless him.

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