Father's Day usually gets second billing to Mother's Day. She gets the warm hugs and flowers. He gets the ties and the shoehorns.

Telephone lines are far busier on her day than on his day, and so are restaurants. Stores carry more greeting cards for moms than dads.

Old-fashioned fathers don't mind. They know who runs the household and they accept their role as adjuncts -- as family bankers and car loaners, sort of. Mothers handle everything domestic, and for that she's honored on her special day. No wonder Oscar Wilde observed that "Fathers should be neither seen nor heard. That is the only proper basis for family life."

But the age of dodo dads is past. What about the modern father, who is a full-fledged member of the domestic cooperative? Doesn't he deserve co-billing? One would think so, although it really doesn't matter. Only those hung up on playing gender politics would argue about equal play. The rest would simply enjoy the day, and love their children regardless of warm hugs and flowers

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