A Father

People have heard of pain,

witnessed tears,

and seen the sacrifices

of a loving mother,

for her love and care

that are often visible.

There is no competition

between a mother's love

and a father's love.

For there is no comparison

between two eyes,

both are needed

to see the world clearly.

Many have seen

a father's anger,

his disappointment,

and often his silence.

Yet many never see

his love, his care,

or the sacrifices hidden beneath them.

He does not wish

for you to become another him.

He only hopes you become

better than he ever could,

because no man dreams more of your future than he does.

Some fathers carry

their childhood trauma,

their insecurities, their fears,

and their vulnerabilities.

A father needs no labels,

alpha or beta, strong or weak.

He is an ordinary man

carrying tomorrow's worries

so his family can sleep through tonight.

Many children never understand;

they only blame or complain.

Just as he cares for his children,

he must also care for his own parents,

for he, too, is someone's son.

Do not judge a father

by how he appears to be,

but by who he truly is.

Many fathers choose not to reveal

their deepest selves to their children.

A father is like the hidden side of a coin.

When a coin lands,

the side you see is the mother.

The side resting against the ground,

unseen, yet equally real,

is the father.

By

Sanji-Paul Arvind

June 21, 2026