A friend asked if I could meet with his nephew who had some serious concerns about becoming a father. The young man shared with me that his father had been physically abusive to his mother and the children for years. He told me that he knew almost nothing about being a loving father and feared that he might replicate his father’s behavior. After he finished speaking about his worries I told him that his awareness was a major step in his not duplicating his history. We also chatted about the value of positive role models that could assist him in this new and awesome responsibility.
As we chatted I was reminded of the profound models that influenced my knowledge of what it meant to be a nurturing and loving father. My father,father in law and older brother were all outstanding fathers and just watching all the love and care they heaped on their children molded my path to fatherhood. It is an awesome responsibility to be a father but a joy that is beyond description. I have been blessed with those that taught me, and the two wonderful children that life has put in my care.