***What Does it Mean to Be a Good Father?

With Father’s Day right around the corner, I found myself recently wondering what it means, for most men, to be a good father. Different men have different upbringings and different ideas about how to be a father, but does that make them better or worse than the next guy?

Some men may “father” children, but if they’re not there for them either physically, emotionally, or financially, do they really deserve the coveted title of “Father”?
I grew up with a father who taught me the value of hard work, how to earn a living, and how to take care of myself. He taught me how to be independent and also how important it is to have a sense of humor. He taught me that no matter how tough things may get at any given time, that you can always find a silver lining and a little bit of humor if you look hard enough.

That is my foundation, my roots, and the essence of who I am.

But now, I’m lucky to be married to a man who has shown me the other side of the coin, so to speak. It doesn’t make it better or worse, but just different. Being with my husband has allowed me to learn and grow and understand that he is also a good father, even if his style is different than what I’ve always known.

My husband has shown me what it means to have unconditional love. He’s taught me that he shows his love for me and our children by working hard for our family, being there when a lot of other men might not be, trying to take the daily burdens off me whenever possible, and sacrificing his own needs for mine over and over again.

I’m so glad that he has a different style of parenting than my father, because it allows my son to learn what it means to be a man by both of the most important men in his life. Neither is a right or wrong answer; it’s simply the way they each know how to do it best.

So, I’ve decided, being a father isn’t about the title, but about the commitment to teaching, mentoring, shaping, and showing love for a child in the present while helping to mold them for the future, whatever their future might be. Happy Father’s Day!!