Wit and Wisdom: Celebrating father figures of the Spectrum community

This Fathers Day, we’re celebrating the wit and wisdom of Dads and the other important men in our lives. Over the past few weeks, we’ve reached out to our vibrant Spectrum community – from our team to our families, youth clients and seniors like – and invited them to finish this sentence:

“Something my Father/important person always said, was ____”.

And here are the results!

Some of our community have shared golden quotes from fathers and father figures alike, ranging from practical advice and house rules, to messages of love and kindness.

Others had stories to share about their father or important person, from moments of inspiration to “Dad jokes”.

 What do we mean by ‘father or important person’?

For many families, the way that media portrays events like Father’s Day can feel as though there is only one correct way to be a family, ‘othering’  those who may not have a nuclear family arrangement, or who are missing their father figure. The reality is that every family is unique, and in many cases an impactful ‘father figure’ role may be played by brothers, uncles, teachers and other men from one’s community. At Spectrum, as we strive to ensure migrant and refugee families ‘feel at home’, this means including all families, journeys, and stories – giving us more people to celebrate this Father’s Day!

Through this project we wanted to recognise the important men in our lives – whatever their title – and showcase the valuable impact that they have. As we go about our busy lives it can be too easy to forget that our ideas, advice, jokes and messages of kindness, are remembered and treasured by the people around us. Would it make a difference to you, to know that your words have value to others?

Every voice and experience matters, and adds richness and learning to the vibrant and complex tapestry of our diverse community. Thank you so much to everyone who has shared a snippet of their father or important person for this project!

At Spectrum, we recognise that Fathers Day and other special occasions can be challenging for those separated from family members by distance, time or difficulty, those missing loved ones, and those yet to find community. We hope that by sharing the wit and wisdom of our Fathers Day project, you’ll smile, be inspired, and get the opportunity to reflect on someone who may have been a ‘father figure’ or important person in your own life, and what messages they’ve shared with you.

If you are a father or ‘important person’ to someone in your life, what wisdom do you hope to share with them? We’d love to hear.

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For all adults and children in Australia, there are free, confidential support services available if you are experiencing challenging emotions or mental distress.
MensLine Australia (Mental health service for men) – mensline.org.au | 1300 78 99 78
Lifeline (Crisis counselling and callback service) – 13 11 14  |  text 0477 13 11 14  |  lifeline.org.au/crisis-chat
Headspace (Support for children and young people aged 12-25 and their families and friends)  1800 650 890  | headspace.org.au/online-and-phone-support/