“When I am down and, oh, my soul so weary…”
These opening words of “You Raise Me Up” echo like a prayer in our hearts. A song we often turn to in times of sadness and reflection. It reminds us of the people who lifted us when we had no strength, who believed in us when we had given up on ourselves. For many, that someone was their father, a man who rarely spoke of love but lived it every day, the man who became the wind beneath our unsteady wings, lifting us higher without ever asking to be seen.
Father’s love is quiet. So quiet that sometimes we miss it altogether. It doesn’t arrive with warm embraces or handwritten notes. It’s not the kind of love that always says, “I’m proud of you” or “I’m here.” Instead, it stands at the edge of your life, like a steady rock, silent, still, unmoving but always there.
He’s the one who stayed up until you got home safely. He’s the one who taught you to ride a bike, not with tender words but with strong hands and unwavering belief. He’s the man who worked long hours to pay for your tuition, skipping new clothes for himself so you could wear your school uniform proudly. He’s the one who waited at the door, holding worry behind a firm face when you were late, because he never wanted to show you, his fear. Growing up, we may not have understood this kind of love. We may have mistaken his silence for indifference, his discipline for coldness. But now, as young adults standing in the whirlwind of life, we begin to hear him more clearly. Not through his words, but in our strength, which he quietly built.
“You raise me up so I can stand on mountains…”
Our fathers became a steady ground beneath our trembling feet, the unseen strength in every brave step we took. Since the day we were born, from our very first steps to our greatest achievements, they didn’t ask for thanks. They didn’t expect recognition. Their greatest joy was in watching us succeed, even if it meant they stood alone in the background, unseen.
This Father’s Day, let us pause. Not just to wish him, but to truly see him. To look into the eyes of the man who never asked for anything but gave everything. Maybe he still won’t say much. Maybe he’ll just nod. But tell him anyway. Tell him that his sacrifices mattered. That his strength became yours. That he was the reason you didn’t give up when life got hard. Because before you stood tall, before you found your way, he lifted you. With worn hands and a quiet heart, He raised you up so, you can stand on mountains.
Written by: Dulanji De Silva
Image courtesy: https://pin.it/4j2enlVYv