The Dad

No matter how you feel about the subject, Fathers are vital. Nothing against mothers, but today isn’t about them.

We could talk about the statistics that show what fatherless communities contribute to society, but we won’t. We won’t discuss how fatherless children have an increased risk of perceived abandonment, attachment issues, abuse, criminal justice involvement, gang involvement, mental health issues, and poor school performance. We didn’t even mention substance abuse or poverty and homelessness.

Are there exceptions? Absolutely. Are there kids who overcome? Yes. Are there bad dads? Unfortunately.

But the fact remains that Fathers need to step up and be dads. Fathers need to step up and be husbands. Fathers need to be men that boys (and girls) can look up to.

It doesn’t take much to be a Father, but it takes intestinal fortitude and thick skin to be a dad.

Pardon my momentary lack of discretion here, but becoming a father is a good time. The act of fathering a child isn’t hard at all. It’s rather painless and trouble-free, and to be candid, it’s quite thrilling. If you’ve been half of what it takes to bring a child into the world, you didn’t do much, to be honest. You’ve only proven that you’re fertile.

But to stick around through the various stages of a child’s development, to be a dada, daddy, and dad, and to raise children and teach those children life skills and to be there when the times get tough, well, that’s a bit more difficult.

It involves a lot of care and concern. It requires that a man put aside his selfish tendencies to fully equip the wife or mother of his children with the best life possible and whatever they need to make it.

And when the going gets rough and times get tough, you stay, and you trudge through the mud and the mire to get through to the other side of troubles and trials as unscathed as possible.

Then you pick up your family and tenderly care for them. You carry them along life’s road with whatever courage and strength you can muster. You protect and provide. You are their shield against attacks and their shade when things heat up.

We need dads to be good men. Strong men. Caring men. Providers. Protectors. Honest.

We need fathers to stick around and be dads.

to the men,
– Caleb