Fathers

Fathers are so important to the over-all health and development of the child.

Since my parents divorced when I was at a young age, I was mostly raised by my mom and just spent the summers with my dad. The absence of a regular father in my life was felt deeply. I love my Dad. He was the best dad a kid could ask for. Every summer my siblings and I spent with him was full of camping, amusement parks, outdoor movies, drives, fireworks, rockets, climbing, swimming, fishing, ice cream, and just about every other thing a kid could ever want to do. Before we would come every summer, he would spend weeks planning out our entire summer. We had something planned nearly everyday of the 2 1/2 months we were there. Admittedly, I did get exhausting sometimes. But we loved it and I was able to have a pretty diverse and well rounded childhood since I did crazy fun stuff and be a real kid all summer, and got the necessary parenting and teaching I needed during the rest of the year (I had fun with my mom too).

To this day my Dad still tries to do fun things with us. The cost or the time doesn't matter to him. All he wants is to spend time with us in anyway he can and he sacrifices a lot to do so. He taught me how to swim and dive off a diving board. He took me driving the first time on a country road when I was 14. He taught me how to pitch a tent, start a fire, and make a decent meal. He taught me how to fish a gut the fish and prepare them. He taught me how to change oil, a tire, fuses, and headlights. I learned how to ski, fly, make rockets, and canoe because of him. He taught me so many basic and applicable life skills and I am so grateful for it.

Fathers are so important. I was lucky to have a great father who loved us and tried his very hardest to make us happy. When he wasn't there I found myself always wishing he was. I desired his presence and support at school activities and achievements. I missed his presence at daddy- daughter dances. Sometimes, I just really needed to talk to someone or needed help and didn't get it because my mom was gone working or just too busy with running a household of 5 on her own. I know that although I can't imagine my life without a father at all, I know it could have been better with a father in it more regularly. I truly believe that fathers have so much to offer and so much importance to the children and the mother. I have seen first hand how hard it is to be a single mother and I don't wish it for anyone. Please, appreciate your fathers and tell them how much you appreciate all that you do.