by Matt Bird

Created on: June 21, 2009

This is an easy enough question to answer, really, though not everybody's likely to accept it: no, we don't really need Mother or Father's Day to honor our moms and dads. It's not necessary so long as we show our appreciation the rest of the year.

But most of us don't. Not really, anyway. Mothers and fathers, for those of us fortunate enough to have them, keep the world spinning. They birthed us, they fed us, they taught us right and wrong, they kept us safe from the ills of the world, they helped us make our first steps into that world, they held us by the hand through our troubles, and, gradually, they let us go off to deal with our own problems, confident that we could now take care of ourselves. And the whole time they made sure we had food at the ready. a warm house to sleep in and a good environment to grow up in.

So one day probably isn't enough to pay them homage. We owe them a lifetime's worth of gratitude, and it's difficult to compress all that honoring into one day. Thus we should be making an effort, as the children of these marvelous people, to help them out every day and show we appreciate them.

They fed you. So feed them back. Prepare them meals every now and then. Not just on this one designated day of the year, but a couple times a week. Do some work around the house for them. Pick them stuff up at the store. Lighten the load overall and you'll be going a long way to repaying your debt, not to mention proving yourself a grateful son or daughter.

If you can't do these things, though? If you can't contribute on a daily basis to ensuring their wellbeing as surely as your own? Then yes, you need Father's Day and Mother's Day. In fact there should probably be multiple days in a year, maybe ten or twelve, that you dedicate to doing right by them. If you can't manage to do it on your own then you should be forced into it. And while not every parent out there may be deserving of these special days, I bet a large portion of them are.

So on this next Father's Day, don't just toss him a tie and head back to what you were doing. Get him something he really wants. Something that shows you've been listening, that you've really considered your options and picked out what he wanted best. Then wait on him hand and foot to show he's truly appreciated, the way he may well do for you.

Father's and Mother's Day may not be necessary for some people, but they exist nonetheless. So even if you already do your share to honor your parents, dedicate one more day to it anyway. It really can't hurt anybody, as you're just showing a bit more love to those people who are responsible for you growing up to be, well, you.

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