Father’s Day!

Fathers are important. I do not care what the media says, having a good father in the home makes a difference. Dad’s play a role in their children’s life that no one else can. It does not matter if it is biological dad, step dad, or a male mentor; that role is important. We live in a society that is constantly telling us that men are not as important. Do not believe the lie. Both fathers and mothers are equally essential when it comes to children. It is time that we stop allowing the role that a father has in their child’s life to be devalued. Fathers have and always will be essential. Father’s Day is a special day set aside that we honor our dads and/or any other father figures in our lives collectively. A lot of us are who we are because of the role our dads played in our lives. 

I am who I am today because of my dad. I was fortunate enough to grow up with both parents in the home. Growing up, I thought this was the norm. But I quickly realized that this was not the case. I am thankful for the wisdom and knowledge that my dad has and still is imparting into me. Did I listen to it all, of course not. But sometimes it takes mistakes to learn the value of what you truly have. My dad is very careful with his words. My dad isn’t one who just tells me what I should or shouldn’t do. He lives it out. He didn’t just tell me how to be a good husband, he lived it out in front of me. He didn’t tell me how to be a man of God, he lived it out in front of me. I always felt a certain type of security as a child when my dad was around. It’s like he’s a superhero. He can do anything. Without question, I can say that my dad loves me and my brother. I am truly blessed to have him as my father. 

I am now trying to continue the legacy of my dad by following the example that he set. I am a dad and am now reaping the fruits of some of the seeds that I may have planted as a child. I am blessed to have a daughter and I feel as if I’m learning something new every day. I absolutely love being a dad. It comes with it’s challenging moments, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’ve learned just as much from her as she has from me. I love my daughter. From the moment she was born, I’ve wanted to give her the world while at the same time trying to protect her from it. I want to give her all of the things I’ve never had plus some while at the same time teaching her to be grounded. I appreciate my own dad even more trying to navigate these waters. But one thing that I’ve learned is that she values spending time with me over anything that I could ever buy for her. If I’m going somewhere, she wants to come with me. Just being there is what matters the most to her. When it’s time for me to work, I work. But when it’s time for me to be dad, I make sure that I give just as much if not even more effort. She’s my legacy. I want to be someone that she can be proud. I still have a lot of growing and learning to do, but I will get there. 

Fathers matter. We are the leaders of our family. It is our responsibility to lead our families in the right direction. Like I’ve said before, I am blessed to have a father who did that. But every child is not as fortunate. As a father and a man, that may mean being a mentor to a child who doesn’t have a dad in their life. The knowledge and wisdom that you have can help that child avoid pitfalls or help them to become successful in life. None of us are perfect. We will make mistakes. Those mistakes turn into learning experiences which others can learn from. Today is Father’s Day. Reach out to your dad or the dad in your life and let him know how you feel. There’s so much negativity going on right now. Be one of the few sources of positivity. If you’re a dad reading this, Happy Father’s Day. May you feel loved and appreciated on this day. Don’t forget to love on those who made you dad as well.