What Does it Mean to Be a Father?

My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person, he believed in me.

Becoming a father is more than just a biological process - it's a profound, life-changing experience that requires a wide range of skills, qualities, and emotional traits.

Being a father means taking on an immense responsibility. It means committing to raising and nurturing a child to the BEST of our abilities and embodying a fatherly role that holds steady, endures, and exemplifies a committed pillar of love and support through all of life's ups and downs.

At its core, being a father means demonstrating patience, empathy, understanding, and compassion. It entails a loving presence and the ability to create a secure, nurturing, and supportive environment for our children.

This means going above and beyond to ensure our child's physical, emotional, and psychological needs are being met, particularly as they grow and evolve.

Being a father means taking an active role in our children's lives. This includes reading bedtime stories, being there for their events and sports games, helping with homework, providing counsel during difficult times, and generally being available as a positive influence and a source of stability.

It also means being honest, genuine, and vulnerable about the mistakes we've made and what we learned from them. Our children don't need a monument to revere; they need a father who's real about who he is and who he's becoming.

Being a father means leading by example. As a father, we are the first role model for our children; they will mimic our behavior, habits, and values. Therefore, it's important to embody the traits and values that we want our children to adopt, such as honesty, integrity, respect, emotional control, responsibility, love, and kindness.

Leading by example means being a role model. The world is built on nations, nations are built on communities, communities are built on families, and families are built on and take their cues from the strong role models of their fathers.

Being a father means having a deep sense of love and devotion for our children that extends far beyond any material possessions or external accomplishments. It's about being present, supportive, and committed to helping our children become the best versions of themselves.

A father’s love takes many forms, depending on culture and circumstances. The important thing is to find pathways to affection, like playfully wrestling, making them breakfast, covering them with a warm blanket, or verbally saying to them, “I love you!”

This may be less likely for fathers in cultures that value emotional restraint or those who had fathers that rarely showed emotion. But these are the moments that children remember for the rest of their lives and help them to flourish in adulthood. Don't withhold the words "I love you!"

Being a father is very challenging at times, but it's one of life's greatest joys and most satisfying roles. And under the heading of being honest, it’s darn tough being a good father.

In many ways, our dads had it easier because they did their thing, paid sporadic attention to parenting, and that was that. We grew up, moved on with our lives, and hoped for the best. No ceaseless introspection and no longing for the way things could've been.

However, the positive impact of becoming and being a father not only affects us, our children, and our family, but, more importantly, it significantly impacts the long-term well-being of everyone around us.

You have an important job, Dad. Hang in there!!