Hi, Dad! 

While watching programs of major sports while growing up it was not unusual to see one of the athletes who was on the sideline or bench turn to the camera and exclaim, “Hi Mom!”  I would sometimes wonder if that player had a father in his life.  You know, the kind that taught you how to catch and throw.  One who made you pay attention when he was changing the oil or a tire.  That guy who talked about politics and world affairs.  Maybe even, he showed you how to bait a hook and get the fish off without getting finned. I am not saying that all of those players who waved and yelled at mom did not have a father in their life, it just made wonder if they did.  We are all here because we had a father.

I am here because my father was here.  I have thought about it.  I have analyzed it.  I have considered it, and I keep coming to the same conclusion that I am here because my father was here.  Now, it is obvious that my mother played a significant role in me being here, as well, that cannot go unnoticed, so don’t think I have taken leave of my senses.  Its’ just that as we approach the day that we honor fathers this weekend, thoughts of fathers are on the forefront of our minds.

The United States has the highest rate in the world of single parent households at 23%, according to Pew research.  This places financial strain, emotional stress, life balance issues, childcare difficulties, reduced network of support, social stigma and judgments on the lone parent trying to raise a child.  Single parenthood has often been identified as one of the major factors that contribute to poverty.  Poverty should not be thought of as just an income issue, it has emotional, social and educational components as well.  Fathers matter.

The presence of a father can be reassuring when he provides the right things that ensure the foundation for your life.  Good fathers provide stability, strength, standards, and support.  Life comes at us in a flurry that can make it difficult to see, think, or hear.  Having a father to help understand how to handle the pace of life can be very helpful.

Every benefit of a good father can not be measured in a quantifiable way.  A father with a good name and a solid reputation can impact any number of situations we move through.  Teachers teach better when parents are known to them.  The influence of a good father can be felt in the home, the community, and the marketplace.  My dad always sent us out the door with us knowing that we should do all we can to maintain the quality of his name.

The state of fathers today has not changed the necessity of a father being present.  Even when my father’s health was failing him, he still provided all that we needed to be what we should be.  He may have had to change what you could see him do, but he was still who he was, our father.  I am here because my father was here.