What it means to be a father: this photo shows us better than a thousand words

Today more than ever, one wonders about the meaning of roles in the family, such as what it means to be a father.

Certainly, it is not enough to have the biological ability to procreate or the fact of having had children, but rather to know how to assume responsibilities and duties that not everyone is prepared for.

To use a small "semantic" distinction, one could say that there is a difference between being a father and being a "dad".

Of course, a father can also just limit himself to providing his genetic contribution in giving life to the world, without worrying about the small and big needs that accompany his child in the course of its life.

Being a dad means putting the welfare of a child before his own, to love and protect his child from everything, to always have time for his child and to make sure that his child lacks for nothing.

If it is true that a picture is worth a thousand words, then, in this regard, there is a photo that has been posted on the Internet that has gone viral, in which a single image manages to express what it means to be a real dad.

Let us now try to comment on this photo as if it were a painting in a museum. Observing the photographic image we see that it portrays a father and son walking side by side, on the street, evidently surprised by a rainstorm.

In fact, you see a dad holding the only umbrella they have, over his son's head to keep him dry, while the dad's shirt is completely soaked with rain. You can see a hint of movement in the hands of the little boy, as if he is still playing carefree, in spite of everything. This small glimpse of everyday life captures the essence of this discourse.

Chris Price/Flickr

A dad is someone who shelters his child from difficulties and unexpected events, even at the cost of bearing them in his child's place.

A dad is someone who is always ready to pull out an umbrella when a sudden storm arrives, and despite everything makes sure that his child continues to walk calmly in the rain as if nothing has happened.