Today, on Father’s Day, in a year (or the last four years) that has seen so much pain and suffering I remain ever grateful and hopeful as a Micronesian dad to my US-born children Keala Naihangiluk and Keoni Rahutow.
First and foremost, I hope my children know how much I love them unconditionally, unrelentingly…a love that is unmoved even when they make bad decisions in life as they will inevitably do as part of being humans.
That no matter the circumstances in life they can ALWAYS count on the love of their parents.
I hope my children know how grateful I am to be their dad…seeing them continue to grow into their humanity, the future they are destined to live, and the humility of it this incredible gift of being a part of it.
I hope the are as grateful to God as I am for Her gift of our small and extended family…that they are part of a larger family here in the US and Micronesia and an even larger Family called Humanity.
I hope my actions as a human being speaks loudly to my children of my values than any word of advise I may have uttered to them…my unapologetic support for the Black Lives Matter movement by marching alongside others, my work for equity in education for all children, my support for the LGBTQIA community, my grounding in a loving Christian faith that honors all other types of faith communities and non-believers alike, my belief in the goodness of every human being.
I hope my children know how proud I am of my Chuukese Micronesian heritage of which they are a part… that their last name Raatior is an indigenous name that I proudly reclaimed, that it’s the name of a wise, courageous, humble, caring chief and master navigator. I pray that they will carry that name with the same pride as I do.
I hope my children always know that they are my first priority even as I share my gifts and time in service of others…my various engagements to uplift my fellow Micronesian sisters and brothers in the United States and back in my homeland, my work in international education and equitable education for all.
That all of it is to make it easier for them to grow up as Micronesian Americans in an America that will be truly welcoming to people of color.
I hope my children don’t lose their optimism, hopefulness and positivity during these very difficult months of COVID-19 and these last four years of a divisive politics in their America.
I hope that as a Micronesian dad who has been privileged with the responsibility of raising two young Americans that I will have passed on to them the legacy of an America that welcomes immigrants,
I hope that even though I am unable to vote in November others who share the depth of human love and unity will win over hatred and divisiveness.
That those who want a united America and a peaceful world will ultimately elect a president with a female vice president. And that four years later Americans will again elect the first female president, but this time with the damn electoral college.
I hope that someday when my children are old enough to vote they will exercise that right grounded in love and not in hatred.
Happy Father’s Day to all my fellow dads and the single moms who have had to be dads too.
