Sometimes, I feel our culture is doing to the reputation of dads what it did to the reputation of mothers-in-law. Dads are all too often portrayed by media as goofy, incompetent, authoritarian, or absent. I'm not saying that all TV and movie fathers are bad, but there are enough 'bad apples' out there to ruin the whole barrel, in my opinion. The stereotypical modern dad is either affection but dumb, or overly strict and removed.
So let me take a moment to praise the amazing fathers I know. Last night, I had the pleasure of going to the county fair with several good friends, my sister, and my family. Between all of us, there were two dads and eight kids, five of them being three and under. The dads had graciously joined us moms right after working a long day, and it made me proud to see these men in action: helping with pushing strollers, carrying children, walking long distances in the muggy heat, and participating in a ride or two. They were tired, but they weren't complaining. And this was typical of them. Day in and day out, they work hard to support their families, then go straight home to work harder. When they wish they could pursue their own hobbies and pastimes, they choose to be with the family instead. They lead their families to seek after God, and accept the responsibility of all that entails. And above all, they cherish their wives. These are the men that I admire most, and I'm blessed that one of them is mine.
No comments:
Post a Comment