Fathers-in-place - Happy Father's Day (teenage, parents, boys, appropriate)

[The Dissenter]

As I'm sure a lot of people on CD know, I myself did not have a good natural father. It is hard to swallow that your own natural father did not view you as important enough to be bothered with on a consistent. He has been physically dead for a few years now, but to me, he died as my father much longer before he physically left this earth.

One thing I can say that I'm grateful for is that my mother did what she could to put me in a position of where I could be surrounded by positive male role models who could place pieces of wisdom in life. I identify as an atheist, but was brought up in the church. This one church I decided to get involved in was full of men who actively look out for the teenage boys who didn't have fathers around. We did all the things dads do with their sons, played football and basketball, shot guns, played poker. But we left with some wisdom from them through their actions and words. As a teenage boy, I hate admitting this, but I didn't always respect my mother. But one thing I could always respect, was someone who was in my shoes and had been through what I was facing imparting their wisdom.

I see a lot of my millennial peers become parents and, despite what the media wants to say about millennial males, most of them are solid engaged fathers, even if they no longer romantically love the mothers of their children. Some of my male friends even go one step further and call children their partner gave birth to and they did not physically father their own. Special kind of men are willing to give the title of son or daughter to children they did not physically father whose physical father was not up to the task of owning up to their responsibility.

To all the fathers who stepped in when another man stepped out, Happy Father's Day.

[dizzybint]

Know where your coming from ... your last words touched me.. and I understand exactly what your saying... some dont deserve to have children or be called a father. while others take on the mantle and are decent men and dads whether biological or not.. It takes a strong man to take over someone elses children and to step up to the plate for what someone else left on the table.... I just read this and thought it appropriate for the non caring dads who never knew how precious the little people they left behind or forgot about..so yes a big Happy Fathers Day to all the great caring dads out there and the ones who stepped in and took over for the ones who ran.

[Kissinger645]

Don't look at it as you not being "important enough," it's because he wasn't strong enough. And not only was he not strong enough, I'm sure he felt shame because of it. Gotta forgive and realize we are all doing our best, even if our best is not good enough. No reason for you to feel any shame.