Dad's Time

Today's image of fatherhood is confusing. 

If you are too tough on your children, you're uncaring, out of touch, mean, and although you had good intentions, will most likely be remembered as a tyrant. If you're too easy, you're a bumbling fool who should never have had children. Somewhere in the middle is a macho man with the ability to cry at the end of a "chick flick." 

Television shows about family today usually make the father out to be a idiot who only cares about relaxing with his buddies while watching sports. He is detached from the wants and needs of his children and solves everything with... "Ask your mother." So in the eyes of the world the words "You're just like your father" today are often more of an insult than praise. 

Fathers have one chance to get things right with their kids. But often times we squander the opportunities...

-Because we are too busy to gain our children's respect.

-Because we grew up in a world that told us that real men don't cry so we weep in private. Our children never see us show our true feelings.

-The world calls us  the "bread winners" so we work more than we play with our kids.

-The world told us that we had to be strong and set examples even when life was tough and we froze out the ones that really cared about us.

-Then at the other end of life we wonder why our kids don't come around anymore. 

The truth? 

All our children really want is our time. They want the opportunity to tell us about when they were kids even though we've heard the story a hundred times. They want the chance to say the words, "Thanks, dad. and "I love you" before it's too late.

Generation after generation all say, "I'm going to raise my kids differently." 

So, how's that working out for you?