I think this piece may not be an easy one to knock out of my mind…As I prepared to enter the labour room of birthing this piece, I perceived a turbulent labour experience but I believe God His support to see me through.

The foregoing fear is predicated upon the facts that I am trying to bring together topics that are best described as strange bed fellows under one roof of discussion.

So, having warned you ahead of time, let me get to the business of creating rhythm out of the cacophony of thoughts.

It is Father’s Day and I celebrate my dear late dad, Alfred Usiola Ayininuola Akinlami. My father was a good man, generous and lover of life. He did not achieve too much in the area of parenting but his mistakes were very honest ones. He only parented after his KIND, after his own upbringing. It is my firm belief is that we treat children the way we see them. We treat them the way we were seeing growing up. And if we were not properly treated or left on our own, the possibility that we will treat our children same way can always be predicted with oracular precision, except we take conscious effort to redirect our lives under God.

Yet from my father I learnt a lot from his mistakes. He died at 82 in 2009 and he remains in my thoughts as the vehicle who conveyed me here to be an unusual blessing to my world. Happy Father’s Dad as you rest in peace.

On Tuesday, February 16, 1997 I met another Father. He is my father in the Lord, who has since then laboured tirelessly and sacrificially till Christ be formed in me. To Christ and him, I owe my life as it is today. Words fail me to give expression to how much I appreciate him, though I can be a man of many words. Pastor Daniel Taiwo Odukaya, a father in more than a million ways, I celebrate you sir. Happy Father’s Day sir.

My Father of the Year is my twin brother, Kehinde Olubunmi Akinlami. I celebrate him for being there for his children, building healthy relationships with his children and always being there for them in words and deeds. He is not only his children’s hero but their delight. He is strict but not abusive; he is tough, yet approachable and friendly. He is at best in using his authority as a way of communicating values through quality relationship with his precious children. He is at total peace with his precious children and I testify that they are at peace with him.

Considering where we came from, I am so glad and amazed at how he has reinvented himself through the help of God to raise his precious children in the positive ways, we were not privileged to be raised.

He has by the grace of God made a commitment not to repeat the errors of our parents in raising his precious children, Oluwaseyitafe and Eyitomilayo. He is a leader of a NEW GENERATION, raising new STANDARDS under Christ. Kehinde Akinlami, Happy Father’s Day, you are a practical example to me that we can rise above our background and give our children a hope and a future we were denied of, noting that Change is an ever present possibility for anyone, is ready to take responsibility.

Fatherhood fascinates me and I have discovered it to be an institution where as a father, you have nothing to offer but your values through example as a source and sustainer, first to your children and humanity. I have also come to understand that there are many who have children but yet are not fathers and there are also many without children, who are yet fathers.
Therefore it is my conclusion that you are not a father because you have children. You are  only a father because you can give your children the priceless legacy of positive values through an unimpeachable example of a life, being well spent.

I think I should wrap this up here today. But you have not talked about Evans…Yes…That is a very keen observation and you are very right…Please permit me to bring him into the mix tomorrow.

I am conscious of Reader’s Fatigue, which may be a jolly good accompaniment of long treatises l am often tempted to write.

I will be here tomorrow to bring this piece to an end. Do have an INSPIRED Father’s Day honouring Fathers and Father Figures(including mothers, who played the roles of fathers, eloquently well in the lives of their children due to sundry reasons, ranging from good, bad to ugly) in our lives.

Think the FAMILY…Thin the CHILD…Think TODAY…Think the FUTURE™

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