Fatherhood

To all the men out there who have truly been there for their children. And any person who takes on the role of a good father.

I have had the blessing to be reunited with my father recently after two years of separation due to Covid-19. He is the sweetest man. He taught me and my siblings to have confidence in ourselves whether it was due to our experiences in sports, academics, our faith, or our relationships. He accepts what life brings him with a smile on his face and a joke. He is courageous.

A good father helps a child develop self-confidence and agency over their life. He shows his children the world. A good father teaches his children that their thoughts and feelings matter. This gives the child the ability to develop necessary self-confidence. A good father is kind but has good boundaries. Thus the child learns how to navigate relationships with integrity towards others, but also develops self-respect.

A wise father I have known (my husband) taught our children that they needed to have a balance of three qualities in order to be successful in life: smarts, strength, and kindness. Without all these three things in balance, human beings can easily lose their way.

Single mothers have a unique role in raising children. The best and most successful single moms take on some of these qualities that we usually see with fathers. My hat goes off to single mothers. And single fathers!

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there! Special thanks to my father and my husband.

To all you fathers, these are my thoughts, but is there anything I missed about what fatherhood is to you? Happy to hear your comments.