Thoughts on Father's Day

Though gender stereotypes still linger and sometimes still seem entrenched, the feminists revolution has also been a revolution (though a quiet one) for men. Courts no longer give custody automatically to the mother. Men are single parents in increasing numbers. Men have had to rethink their place in the home, in the nursery, in the school, on the playground and even in the bed.

We know that everyone has a mother. But we can't say that for the father. And not because he is absent, but because he is an anonymous sperm donor. The government, in its quest to protect the child, has only encouraged the father to be absent. Fatherhood too often comes with no preparation and no commitment to the child, either civil or sacramental.

It is the right thing, in my opinion, for same sex couple to marry and to raise children. with two fathers or two mothers, gender roles in parenting  become a matter of consideration. In our culture we spend a great deal of time on defending our rights, but not enough time on acknowledging our responsibilities.

The mythological and archetypal figures of mother and father have been the concern of humans since time began. Perhaps it's time to look past gender roles and investigate the male/female duality and its role in culture now. After all, we were born into a world of dualities (light/dark, male/female, day/night, good evil) that we navigate each day.