Tag: Holidays

Regarding Father’s Day

Regarding Father’s Day

by Heather ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

There was a time in my life I never thought of Father’s Day beyond my own dad and grandfather.

Both have been amazing influences in my life. Of course, it took me until adulthood to fully appreciate that fact, but I suppose that’s to be expected.

Growing up during the time I did, I knew very little about strained parental relationships or households suffering from the unimaginable. Whether it was a sheltered lifestyle or willful ignorance on my part, I’ve since learned not everyone’s reality was the same as mine.

I don’t know when exactly or why it happened. However, a culmination of events have changed me and my feelings regarding a lot of holidays, but especially Father’s Day.

While the day is nothing short of a celebration for my family, I tend to find myself in a darkened place the days leading up to and shortly after the actual day.

I think about those for whom Father’s Day is a reminder of an innocence lost.

I think about those who didn’t or don’t know what it’s like to have a positive male influence in their lives.

I think about those who lost their fathers too soon, and the loss feels unbearable.

I think about those who are caring for their ageing parent not knowing how much time is left.

I think about those who desperately want to be fathers and, for whatever reason, life has dealt them a very different hand.

I think about all of those people where every commercial, store signage, or social media post holds the potential to reinforce what Father’s Day means for them.

To any of you for which any of the above holds true, know someone is thinking about you.

Sending love, light, and peace:
-Heather

 

Junteenth

Junteenth

by Heather ♥ 0 Leave a Comment

I was today years old when I learned this is an actual holiday. And frankly, I’m ashamed I didn’t know.

First, some backstory:

While watching the news this morning, the weatherperson had just talked about the temperature today and how it was going to reach a feels-like of over 100 degrees. The anchor then talks about a Junteenth festival. I didn’t think a lot about it, but Big D says, “What’s Junteenth?” I shrugged, commented something along the lines of “… a shame it’s not in October when it’s not so hot.”

A little later, I’m cooling off in my chair whilst scrolling Facebook. My friend Danielle, of Mamademics fame, had posted she was off to celebrate Junteenth.

Since we live about 400 miles from each other, I immediately went to Google to get more information because I knew I’d missed something important. (Side-note: Hey, Google. How about you have a different doodle up, today, hmm? Seriously a missed opportunity there.)

For those of you that already knew what today means, and you are shaking your head at my ignorance, thank you.
For the rest, please follow me for a very important history lesson.

 

June 19th is referred to as Junteenth Independence Day or Freedom Day, according to Wikipedia. Today, it is celebrated in 45 states.

On June, 19 1865, the announcement of the abolition of enslaved African-Americans in Texas as well as other states in the southern Confederacy. You thought it was Abraham Lincoln’s doing? Yeah, me too.

I found another article in “Time.”

There is a common misconception among Americans that Abraham Lincoln freed the slaves with a stroke of his pen. Yet the Emancipation Proclamation, which went into effect on Jan. 1, 1863, did no such thing — or, at least, it didn’t do a very good job of it. Two and a half years later, on June 19, 1865, Union soldiers sailed into Galveston, Texas, announced the end of the Civil War, and read aloud a general order freeing the quarter-million slaves residing in the state. It’s likely that none of them had any idea that they had actually been freed more than two years before. It was truly a day of mass emancipation. It has become known as Juneteenth.

I found another amazing resource which goes into deeper detail of this important holiday and its history through the years.

I’m not sure whether to blame the educational system – and both college history courses – or myself for not educating myself more on the history of this country and those who occupy it.

Either way, it’s time to step-up and get to reading.