The Unseen Efforts of Fathers: A Call for Recognition Beyond Emotions
You all chose to trend the picture of him and his mother just as you did for Ademola Lookman.
When the story about Ademola Lookman emerged, featuring images of him with his father, I wanted to write about this in relation to mental health. I began to wonder if it was a deliberate attempt to downplay the efforts of men or just an oversight.
Later, a video surfaced of Thuram and his son. In the video, Thuram appeared less excited and compassionate in public, which was misconstrued as suggesting he might not be happy with his son. However, would someone who is unhappy dedicate their entire life, resources, and energy to grooming their children and show up for them on their big day?
O ma se oh.
The notion that men are raised not to publicly show emotions should not be mistaken for a lack of emotions. This has been the case for many years.
As Hon. Balogun Danjuma Danjo suggested on X, “men should learn to jump up, kneel down, and also cry sometimes.” If that is all it takes for you to celebrate us, then that’s not me.
Thank you, 3scfanstv, for capturing this very special Daddy and Son moment.
Idris Animasaun
Architect and Social Change Advocate