Reflections on Father's Day

TL: Arthur’s Father, Ignacz Weisz (died in the Holocaust), TR: Margaret’s Father, Otto Stadler (lost his wife Jenka and only son Imre during the Holocaust), BL: Arthur Weisz, BR: Tom Weisz

This Father’s Day, I hope that fathers will take time to appreciate wherever they are in life, and truly reflect on the values that will one day become their legacy.

Father’s Day is an interesting idea.

We get so caught up in the idea of BBQs and buying ugly ties for our fathers (if we are lucky enough to have a father) and we don’t often reflect about what fatherhood really is.

To some, fatherhood is simply a “donation” to the growth of earth’s population, and to some it could be an impossible dream. All fathers have a different story – some painful and some exhilarating.

While fatherhood looks different to everyone, let me tell you my thoughts on Father’s Day.

My great grandfather, Ignacz, was murdered at the hands of the Nazis. His right to be a father, and raise future generations was snatched away from him when Arthur was a young adult.

My great grandfather, Otto, lost his only son, Imre, in the Holocaust. While he still had Margaret, the loss of his son always haunted him. Imre, who was murdered just as he was entering his teenage years, never lived to be a father himself.

My grandfather, Arthur, taught our family the values of hope and determination (among many others).

My father, Tom, was born just after the Holocaust to a resilient, yet shaken couple. He provided them with the will to live and survive. He was the catalyst that drove their escape from Communist occupied Hungary. They were the wealthiest family in Moson after the Holocaust, building their wealth from nothing, yet they were driven to escape so that Tom would have a future.

And my father Tom, passed these values to his children and grandchildren.

This Father’s Day, I hope that fathers will take time to appreciate wherever they are in life, and truly reflect on the values that will one day become their legacy.