In the name of the father. His feast has come!
(Text and photos by Maria Di Paola Blum)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy
Spirit. It is in this way our milenary culture has
celebrated, respected, venerated, betrayed, loved, killed
and honored the father. Historically speaking, the paternal
figure back from our ancestors has been and is still the
beginning.  If there is no father there is no family.
Like it or not, up to now it is with him that family
begins. There are no sea horses among humans for the auto
fecundation as is the case with the unique little sea
fish. who does it all himself without needing the female
figure. Be it the man or the "macho" in either
case he becomes father with a woman by his side. Many
times he does so moved by conviction and, sadly, some other
times he does so by distraction.Â
In most of the existing and lost cultures in our planet,
our societies have followed the patriarcal model, with very
few exceptions.
Besides being the chief of the family, he has been the
guide, the head of his clan, or tribe, group, empire,
kingdom, etc., depending on the type of society he had
established.Â
He was referred to as the one who provided territory, a
home. He was also the one who provided food by hunting, by
growing crops, or by trading. He was also the one who
provided security to the family and to the organized group
headed by him, just like our governors keep trying to do so
today! He was the one who killed or ordered someone to kill,
depending on the more or less noble status he held, whoever
attempted against him or his beloved ones. He could be
defined with a little bit of respect as the chief. Or in a
despective way following the “retrograde-feminists”:
the rooster. Cynically as the one who payed the bills.
 With a bit of affection: father. And with infinite love:
daddy. And let us welcome his feast.
He represented authority. He was rarely seen at home. His
scale of values, passed on from from father to son was:
God, Country, family, work, friends and back home, late,
perhaps too late! Home, where woman reigned alone: wife
and mother with no exception. He was educated to make
things, to produce, and to create.  To date this model
is still valid. with very few changes. We now see daddy
sometimes sharing with mom many of those ancestral things
like creating material things, building up fortunes, and
sharing victories, defeats or failures.Â
Dad has learned how to deal with the silent power that
grows silently, that of the mother, the wife, the
woman, or simply the companion of so many battles.Â
However, the man, the father, the affectionte daddy, by his
own nature has up to now demonstrated to be able to
survive, among so much questioning of his roll, because
they can count on allies that we as women can not::
friendship among ourserlves.Â
At the end the man, the "macho", the beloved
daddy, gets his way because no matter in what step of
social life he is standing, nor which his rank is out
there, he can alwasy count on his friends to let steam out
sharing a beer, a chat or a soccer game.Â
So, this day destined to celebrate the antiquest roll which
has never ceased to pertain to him:: that of “The
father”, we must be celebrat him "a la
grand". Here in the beautiful Chapala Riviera, among
marvelous Golden Rain trees and Tabachines which enhance
the solemnity of this day with their touch of red and gold,
we suggest to try a kayak ride on the lake, or visit
the malecón of Chapala, now looking so nice, or just
relax and enjoy a meal by the lake among palm treees
and bouganvilleas at the Nueva Posada restaurant, or try
a moderate and healthy hour of exercise at the Chula Vista
golf club or on the newly restored beach by the Chapala
malecon. Congratulations Dads!