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Dads Don't Fix
Your Kids Newsletter |
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Dear
Mark,
Greetings to
all of you! Spring has sprung and the snowman in the front yard is just a
shell of his former self. I hope you're all well and I'd like to give a
big welcome to you new subscribers. As a personal
coach for men and the publisher of this newsletter, I'm sometimes blessed
with personal stories from readers that touch my heart. This story sent in
from a reader helped me to remember why I'm doing what I do. I have his
permission to share it with you: A
Father and His Son "As a father
of two teens, I've enjoyed your insight on fatherhood. I was raised in a
loving family environment, but just as you indicated, my father was the
primary breadwinner and the "backbone" of the family, not an emotional
type. As a child, I
never saw him cry or appear weak, nor did he ever utter the words "I love
you". It was just not in his vocabulary, though I never doubted his love
for any of us. It was not
until his last hours on this earth, nearly 9 years ago, that I saw him cry
for the first time. Suffering from the side effects of leukemia, I was
visiting him in his hospital room. As I sat on the side of his bed feeding
him ice chips and jello cubes by spoon, it occurred to me that we had
reversed roles. He was no longer caring for my needs, but I was there to
help him with a basic need. We talked
about things that we'd never discussed previously and as I was preparing
to return home to my family for the night, I turned to him and said "I
love you". He smiled and
nodded his approval as I exited his room for the last time. Unfortunately,
he'd been experiencing internal bleeding, though he never complained or
mentioned it to me, and he expired some three hours after I
left. I feel
fortunate to have spent those last hours with him and that I could express
my love to him, though I felt out of character in doing it. I only wish
that it had occurred years earlier. As a father
myself, I've broken the male mold. I freely express my love, not only for
my wife but for each of my children. Rarely does a day pass that I don't
talk with my kids, always ending the conversation with an "I love
you." I'll be the
first to admit that life is not always a bed of roses, and that developing
strong family ties requires patience and perseverance. But I'm incredibly
proud of the family relationships that we've developed and nurtured in our
children." I'm so
thankful for this father's willingness to share his story. And I'm
inspired by fathers who make love and connection an absolute must in their
families, whether they've had a role model to follow or
not. This story
also illustrates one of the reasons we're on this earth: to learn to love
each other and to spread our love to our children. And while it may not be
easy, here's one father who will tell you it's all been worth the
effort. So how about
you? Is there anything you want to say to your father? Your kids?
Every day
there are new choices to make. May your choices help produce young men and
women who are grounded by your love. We could use a
little more of that in this world.
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email:
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Dynamic Vision · 534 Elaine Ave · Shoreview · MN · 55126 Forward
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