NEW YORK – The first couple weeks of June have certainly been eventful and action-packed for the local community. Between the New York Knicks’ championship run, opening matches of the FIFA World Cup, the end of the school year, and families planning their summer vacations, there has been no shortage of excitement.
But amidst this busy season, let us not forget another occasion that deserves recognition: Father’s Day.
To commemorate our ‘babades’, ‘pappoudes’, and ‘thious’ ahead of Sunday, June 21, The National Herald interviewed Greek-American children across the local community and asked a simple question:
What is the most important lesson your father taught you?
For 16-year-old twins Elias and Konstantina Karantonis of Ridgewood, NJ, their answer is rooted in their father’s ability to overcome hardship.
“My dad was born in Mytilene and immigrated to America at just 18 years old,” Konstantina Karantonis told TNH. “He had no money and very little help.”
The Karantonis family. (Photo: Konstantina Karantonis)
The twins’ father spent his young adult years working his way into the furniture industry before eventually founding his own company in 1993.
“Throughout my life, my dad has taught me to persevere and to never give up,” Konstantina said. “Starting a new life in a different country was very difficult for him in the beginning, but he took the risk anyway and always worked hard.”
Even with their father’s great success, the Karantonis family recently faced their biggest challenge when their furniture warehouse caught on fire and burned down last month.
“It was a huge tragedy for our family and the community here in Jersey,” Elias Karantonis told TNH. “You would think losing everything would make my dad wanna quit, but that’s not him.”
Within three weeks, the twins’ father secured a new warehouse and was already working to get the business back on track. For Elias, his father’s response to the setback served as a powerful reminder that challenges are temporary, while resilience is everlasting.
Twins! Elias Karantonis and his baba. (Photo: Elias Karantonis)
“I will use that example to guide me through life when things get tough,” he said. “I think of everything my dad did to get to where he is today. Even in scenarios when I think school and sports are hard, he never fails to reassure me to always keep going.”
TNH also spoke with students from St. Demetrios Greek American School, who had written Father’s Day messages on Post-it notes as part of a classroom activity. Among the many heartfelt messages, three stood out for featuring important lessons fathers had passed on to their children.
A lesson that 14-year-old Katarina Ziakos, an eighth grader at St. Demetrios, learned from her father, is one that is timeless and centered on kindness towards others.
Katarina Ziakos, student at St. Demetrios Greek American School, poses for a photo. (Photo: Courtesy of St. Demetrios)
“My baba has always said that respect goes both ways and to treat people the way you want to be treated,” she wrote.
Georgia Psyllos, 10, who is in the fourth grade, highlighted the importance of learning and growing from mistakes and using them as opportunities for growth.
“My dad taught me that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as I learn from them,” she said.
Ten-year-old Annamaria Skoufris, a fifth grader at St. Demetrios, credited her father with teaching her the importance of self-confidence and believing in her abilities as a singer.
“My baba taught me to always believe in myself, which has helped me to sing and achieve my goals,” she wrote.
Annamaria Skoufris, student at St. Demetrios Greek American School, poses for a photo (Photo: Courtesy of St. Demetrios)
While each child TNH interviewed shared a different lesson taught by their father, all five emphasized the lasting impact their babades have had on their lives and the role they continue to play in shaping the next generation of Greek-Americans.
As we gather to celebrate Father’s Day this Sunday, let us remember to take a moment to thank our babades, pappoudes, and thious, whose lessons stay with us long after childhood.
