14Jun

Fatherhood

“Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a dad.”

-Unknown

June is a month to celebrate a very important person in many people’s lives. Dad. Happy Father’s Day to all of those men that play such an important part in their children’s lives, men that play such an important part in society, men that play such an important part in life.

I have been fortunate in, not only having my father present throughout my life, but in having him be a great presence in my life. I have memories of watching movies with my dad, listening to him read bed time stories, going on bicycle rides with him, celebrating birthdays, helping me with school assignments, cheering me on during soccer games, celebrating graduations, guiding me through life, walking me down the aisle, becoming a great grandfather… Things that have shaped me to become the person I am today. This is something that for so long I have been thankful for because it has been one of the reasons of the great life I have lived, without actually understanding how it worked.

“He didn’t tell me how to live; he lived, and let me watch him do it.”

-Clarence Budington Kelland

When a man becomes a father he inherits a very difficult job. This job is to be the role model to new boys and girls, future men and women. And it involves creating close and affectionate relationships with their children. In talking to them about things that matter, in joining in very important play, in being the kind of person their children want to grow up to be, dads instill in children a positive self image, positive outlook on life, and positive expectations from others. Dads show their sons and daughters what it means to be a good man, a good husband, a good parent, and a good person, which leads to children making better choices.

To all of those great men in our lives… Thank you. Thank you for being the most fun person we looked forward to playing with as children. Thank you for being the rock we sometimes hated during those difficult adolescent years. Thank you for being the voice of reason as we continued to define our identity into our young adult years. Thank you for being the great example of the parents we strive to become.

If you have been impacted by your father and are having difficulty, please contact Life Enhancement Counseling Services today at 407-443-8862 to schedule an appointment with one of our Orlando mental health counselors.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

LECS Counselor