Only a dad
Mang Peryo and wife Nang Lou
"I watched a small man with thick calluses on both hands, working 15 to 16 hours a day. I saw him once literally bleed from the bottoms of his feet, a man who came here uneducated, alone, unable to speak the language, who taught me all I needed to know about faith and hard work by the simple eloquence of his example." -- Mario Cuomo
Father's Day falls on the third Sunday of June. The idea for creating a day for children to honor their fathers began in Spokane, Washington. A woman by the name of Sonora Smart Dodd thought of the idea for Father's Day while listening to a Mother's Day sermon in 1909.
Having been raised by her father, Henry Jackson Smart, after her mother died, Sonora wanted her father to know how special he was to her. It was her father that made all the parental sacrifices and was, in the eyes of his daughter, a courageous, selfless, and loving man. Sonora's father was born in June, so she chose to hold the first Father's Day celebration in Spokane, Washington on the 19th of June, 1910. In 1924 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed the third Sunday in June as Father's Day. Roses are the Father's Day flowers: red to be worn for a living father and white if the father that has died.
The Casiple sisters Rowella, Marilyn, Vinna, Merly,
and their mother Nang Lou
This year Father's Day will be celebrated around the world on June 17.
Father's Day has become a day to not only honor your father, but all men who act as a father figure. Stepfathers, uncles, grandfathers, and adult male friends are all honored on Father's Day.
Da, Dad, Daddy, Pa, Pops. These are a few names we call that special man in our life.
This story is about an amazing father, Ruperto Guaves Casiple or known as 'Mang Perto'. He's not a president or working to solve world peace. What he is, though, is a man who has spent his lifetime dedicated to supporting, loving and caring for his family. I always thought all men did this. I was wrong. He is a father who is always been honest, hard-working and proud. Proud, I suppose for finally making it through raising not one, two, three, four, five, but twelve children. He always stood by their side through good times and bad, always loving and forgiving.
When he was just a boy, he grew up on a small farm. He had very little formal education and never earned a lot of money. He got married at the age of 19, with Louie Casiple, his long time lover. He remembered he used to wake up around 1 in the morning just to fish, for his family to have something for breakfast, and to sell for a little amount of money. After fishing, he gets ready to go for another job. He works 16 hours a day just for him to save enough money for his family. For all his hard work, he managed to build a house.
As I chatted with him recently, he talked about his life and events of these many years. He commented that he had not been a really successful man, but that he is happy with his life and family. I laughed and asked him how he measured success. He pointed out that he had been married with his wife for more than 30 years. He raised a family, providing food, clothing, care, love, attention, support, encouragement, discipline, and rewards. "Its enough to see how my children turn out, I've taught them everything they need to know." he quoted.
His presence brought so much greatness that can be truly great. The everlasting gift from a Dad, given to his children, is an unwavering determination to be a father to his son and daughters and even his grand children. Because of a father's greatness, and because of his children's pride on him, the goal is to emulate that role. Maturation and a little humility have taught his children that all goals are absolutely attainable.