In the past few decades, there has been an assumption that men are not needed to raise a child. Women are strong enough to do it alone. I don’t dispute the strength of a woman. After all, we have been forced many times to do it alone. However, the role of a father is critical in the home. If you want to know how important a father’s presence in a home, ask a child who was raised without his or her Daddy. On this Father’s Day, I want to applaud those Dads who have assumed their roles in the home and those who have been forced to raise a child alone. Continue to do your work, be an example. Teach the men who are running away from their responsibilities to return home and be a Dad to their children. Be willing to be a Dad to those who don’t have one. Be a mentor to the young men. Be a model husband who loves and respects his wife so your boys can follow your footsteps. You have been called to be a provider and protector of your family.
Statistics show that “fatherlessness is associated with almost every societal ill facing our country’s children” (Fathers.com). Men, you are important, you are needed. We need you to make society a better place for all.
Happy Father’s Day!
Written Paula Chrysostome, PH.D, LMHC
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