Happy Fathers Day?

Fathers day will be upon us this weekend. We know it, we are reminded of it everytime we turn on the TV or go on the internet and social media. What is Fathers day? To some, it is to celebrate the Man in your life who was/is there, emotionally, financially, in full protective gear, ready to slay any dragons, monsters under the bed or potential male suitors. To fish with, play handyman with, to bond with.

What about the rest?

As our population soars, so does the amount of children being raised fatherless. Some will have some sort of positive male role models, others, haven't faired as well. We hear more about absent dads then absent moms, maybe because there are more absent dads or because society still cannot grasp how a mother could abandon her children. Either way, both happen. What about those children? The ones who worry when announcements of father/daughter dances or father/son adventures are handed out at school? What about those children? What does Fathers day mean to them? I happen to have experience in this in 2 ways. My dad left when I was five, haven't seen him since and my estranged husband rarely sees his children and hardly ever calls. Only living, absent fathers know why they are absent. I have never quite grasps how a man, or woman, can confuse the roles of partner and parent. How a parent cannot leave a partner and still be a parent? They are two completely different roles. You can fall out of love with your partner, but to walk away from your child? It happens all the time. The amount of children living in one parent households isn't slowing down anytime soom. So what does Fathers day mean to the fatherless? It can mean many things. Not all children have been abandoned. Some have lost parents due to illness, Others have dads who where killed in combat, there are many reasons for a child to be fatherless. Usually, behind a fatherless child, no matter the reason for being fatherless, is a mother, fierce as a lioness. Some kids will give their moms father's days cards and gifts, as she is the only male role model they have. Others have step fathers, uncles, grandfathers and even older brothers who are their main male in life. You don't have to be bound by blood to be a father to any child. You just have to have unconditional love for a child. Many kids, young and old, will celebrate Fathers Day in their own way. Some won't acknowledge the day. If anything, let Fathers day mean change. Know any relatives or friends who have children without that male role model? Make a difference. Are you an uncle or grandfather to a fatherless child? Make a difference. If society tells us anything, it is that no role is really defined anymore. You do not have to be the biological father to be a "father figure" to a child.

Happy Fathers Day