Many of our last names are really the first names of our fathers (or the patriarchal side of our families)-Johnson, Stevenson, Jackson. Other cultures do this as well with surname prefixes like de-, ben-, van-, Mc-.
Fathers were a covering for their children. They protected and provided for their offspring. So, you could tell about a family's economic status by their last name (i.e. Carnegie, Rockefeller). The father's last name also revealed certain things abou the character of the family. Even today, we judge individuals based on the family's reputation: "You know those Petersons are good people", or "I wouldn't get involved with those Joneses. You just can't trust 'em."
As a result, much of the identity of a person is found in the father.
Our current state in life is largely a result of the conditions and decisions of those who came before us. I heard a wise woman say, "You don't know who you are unless you know where you came from."
Therefore, a child's identity is rooted in the lives of his/her mother and father, their mothers and fathers, and so on...
I believe that parents have the responsibility of teaching their children about who they are.
But what happens when a father is either absent or silent? Who is there to tell the child a fair account of that side of their history.
In essence, when a father doesn't do it, half of their identity has been stolen.
1 comment:
Man our history is important. Health issues, where we lived, the history of that place, so many things. Sometimes the importance of indiv. history is lost with the parents. If they dont feel its important or hide certain elements the children are at a loss. The children, then go lacking and its not until years later, sometime, that they feel its worth looking into. As a man knowing Dads history is important. I'm probably more like him than my mother. When Dad isnt there to ask there are always aunts and uncles who can give a little understanding. You have to know them, though.
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