Father’s Day is all about family celebrating together in a decent manner and not for fathers to leave their families and celebrate elsewhere.
That’s according to Charles Maemae, a fish vendor who hails from Fourau village in East Fataleka in Malaita Province.
The Solomon Star caught up with him at the Honiara Central Market last week and asked him about his views on the coming Father’s Day celebration.
He said to him, celebrating Father’s Day with his family in a decent way is the most responsible thing to him than going out to celebrate it in nightclubs.
“To me, Father’s Day is all about family. It is time for families to gather and celebrate in a decent manner. Fatherhood is to do with family and I don’t think it is right for a father to leave his wife and children at home and celebrate in a night club and anywhere else with his friends.
“It’s a time for mothers to show appreciation to her husband as the father of her children and for children to show appreciation to their father for bringing them up.”
Mamae said he used to celebrate Father’s Day with alcohol in nightclubs but stopped from doing so after one of his friends died in a car accident as a result from alcohol consumption.
“I used to celebrate Father’s Day with alcohol in nightclubs too but I realized that nothing good comes out from such practice and after one of my friends died in a car accident as a resulted from a vehicle drinking spree.”
“To me, family is more important than any temporary enjoyment that one can find. Father’s Day is a time for fathers to reflect on their fatherhood responsibilities. Fathers should respect themselves and their families and do things decently.”
Mamae said his advice to fathers if they want to consume liquor on Father’s Day is to do so responsibly and always be respectful to their wife and children.
Mamae, a father to five children and his wife and children live in Auki, Malaita Province.
He sells fish at the Honiara Central Market to support himself and his family. His wife vends fish at the Auki Central Market and her earnings supplement that of her husband in addressing their family needs.
By IAN LADDS OSO
Solomon Star, Honiara
