the sacredness . . . Don’t worry. I’ll take care of you

Happy Fathers Day

A young father, noticing that his wife was not feeling well, made extra efforts to help out. He took care of things around the house, prepared a warm bath for her, and took the children for a walk so she could rest. "Don't worry," he told her. "I'll take care of you." Imagine the satisfaction he felt when, a few days later, he heard his three-year-old daughter use these same words when she acted kindly to her mother. The father felt grateful but also humbled. He realized how closely his daughter was observing his behavior. He determined to be more intentional about setting a good example for his daughter to follow. 

Good wisdom is offered in this statement about fatherhood: "As a father, you are always teaching. For good or ill your family learns your ways, your beliefs, your heart, your ideas, your concerns. Your children may or may not choose to follow you, but the example you give is the greatest light you hold before your children, and you are accountable for that light."

Fathers always matter. But too often, modern media portrays fathers as incompetent, indifferent, or simply absent from family life. And while it's true that there are some disengaged fathers in real life, most would do anything to protect and provide for their family; they desire to work hard and set a good example. 

Of course, no father gets it right every time. Some days are better than others, but if a father tries to live so that his children can honor his name, so that they think of him with love and affection, so that they remember him as a man of honor and integrity, then that father, while less than perfect, is a good father. Each father is a work in progress, and it is in the process of trying that he makes his progress. His very efforts refine him, slowly helping him become all that he is capable of becoming; nothing allows for opportunities for growth and development like fatherhood. 

The greatness of the task, the sacredness of the responsibility may make some fathers feel inadequate, but good fathers simply stand up, do their best, and say to their families, through their words and actions, "Don't worry. I'll take care of you." 

Lloyd D. Newell