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On A Personal
Note... "Father's Day Sidebar" FATHER'S DAY SIDE-BAR Apparently last week's editorial, "Catholic Schools Get Nasty", really struck a chord with a lot of people. Feedback has been coming in steadily! In fact, one letter turned into this week's Teen 2 Teen article. If you missed the editorial, you can find it here: <<http://www.parishwebmaster.com/archives/ezine/ezine_20020609.htm>> Have no fear, I'll share some readers' comments with you next week. But this week I need to focus on something very near and dear to my heart: "Fatherhood" fa·ther "a man who has begotten a child" At least that's what Merriam-Webster has to say. Technically, that definition may be correct. But if we consider "fatherhood" to be the state of being a father, the above definition just doesn't seem to do the concept justice. Unfortunately, we are surrounded by examples of bad fathers. There are fathers who abuse their children both physically and mentally. There are fathers who neglect their children, acting as if they aren't even there. There are fathers who do things to their offspring that most people wouldn't do to their enemies. With all that going on, it stands to reason that the state of being a father is not the same as "fatherhood". In fact, having begotten a child may not even be a necessary prerequisite of fatherhood at all! Fatherhood is about loving, protecting, nurturing and guiding a child. It is about listening and understanding, correcting and disciplining, laughing and crying. Fatherhood is an ideal that we should strive for, yet may never truly achieve -- similar to being a Christian, in that it is a journey, not a destination. And it is the path we must travel within the lives of our children. Fatherhood has it basis in the "position" of being a father, not in the act of siring a child. Thus it is that fatherhood is not reserved for biological fathers alone. Adoptive fathers, whether formal or informal, can walk the path as well. On this Father's Day, let us take time to not only honor our fathers, but also honor those people who are on the journey of "fatherhood". May they stay the course and draw ever-closer to the embodiment of fatherhood -- our loving Father in heaven. Peace, Sound off! Tell me what you think! Copyright 2002 by Brandon Jubar |
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