Fatherhood

"YOU'RE ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS!"

This is one of the things my father wrote in a birthday card to me some years ago that I will never forget.  Fathers impact the lives of their children, for good or for bad.

Have you taken the time recently to sit down and think about what your father or a father figure has meant to you?

I recently wrote a paper on fatherhood and the effects on fatherless homes -- it has left me feeling grateful for my own father.

I would list among his greatest accomplishments:  Giving his time to working very hard to provide food and shelter for our family.  Changing to become the type of man his family needed.  Teaching his children to love and serve others.  Dropping everything and taking no small amount of time to help fix a broken son who was in over his head, turning what might have been a painful memory into one that is full of sweetness because of his remarkable love. 

These were all choices where he didn't have to choose to do what he did.  I am grateful.

The other day in class we were discussing heroes.  The class seemed to grow still as my teacher took on a somber voice.  He spoke of the way we often think of heroes -- muscled bound hunks with long blonde beautiful hair who smash things with a hammer. -- He then told us that if we could look around us and know the heroes seated in that room we would be amazed. -- It is true. -- There those all around us who have overcome insurmountable odds, some who struggle everyday but never give up.  They may lose their battles but they are still focused on winning the war.

My father is my hero.  He seldom had it easy.  Like all of us, I am sure he felt he was, at times, his own worst enemy in becoming what he wanted to be.  He persevered.  He still does.  He does it for others.  What more makes up a hero I ask you? 

Let us all take time to think about what we have been given, then let us look to what we may do to become heroes for our families.  What are the specific things that you will do that will ring reverberating love in the minds and hearts of our children throughout their lives?

Quote: (I think you can apply it to anything that could take our time as fathers and husbands: Video games, Television, Sports, other relationships)
“Some of our most important choices concern family activities. Many breadwinners worry that their occupations leave too little time for their families. There is no easy formula for that contest of priorities. However, I have never known of a man who looked back on his working life and said, ‘I just didn’t spend enough time with my job’ ” (Dallin H. Oaks “Good, Better, Best” Oct. 2007 general conference).