EDITORIAL Remember lockdown has given and taken

THIS weekend, families across the region will be celebrating Father’s Day with a difference.

Whether it is making breakfast in bed, sharing a kick of the footy, spending time in the garden, or even just enduring and laughing along to those painful dad jokes, those lucky enough to live in the same household as their father will no doubt be spending their Sunday finding a way to celebrate the dad in their lives.

For many others, it will be a painful reminder of the physical absence of a beloved father figure and is likely to feature many phone and FaceTime calls with promises of belated hugs and kisses when restrictions ease.

It is an unfortunate truth that a day of traditional celebration will, for many families, actually serve to remind us of what we are missing. It has been a long, difficult second wave, and anything that reminds us of what we have sacrificed at the hands of this pandemic makes the isolation all the more difficult to swallow.

So, the Geelong Advertiser has chosen to celebrate this weekend by highlighting some of the inspiring father figures in our region.

From single dad Aaron McArthur caring for his son Abel, to police officer Andy Brittain who has spent years being a father figure to many vulnerable teens, it is great to celebrate some of the men whose constant love and dedication is spent without fanfare or any desire for recognition.

These men do not only make an indelible difference in the lives of those they touch, but they represent the many similarly inspiring dads in households right across our region. These include the sports coaches, school council members, driving instructors and many, varied community volunteers, as well as the dads who juggle their working days with home schooling duties or spend their weekends taxiing their kids across town.

Of course, the flip side of the devastation and disruption created by the current pandemic has been that many households have seen more of their fathers than before. With government restrictions meaning that more dads have been working from home, for many the increased presence of fathers has been the silver lining to the dark cloud we have been living under.

So, if you are fortunate enough to be able to connect with the father figure in your life on Sunday, take a moment to reflect on and celebrate all they have done for you. And for those unable to physically spend the day with their dads, bank up those hugs — they will be well appreciated in the weeks to come.