Who is a Father?

P J Martin
Office/News Reporter, Metcalfe Division

Most dictionaries define a father as the male biological parent of a child, but that doesn’t even come close to the real meaning.

No matter what you call him (dad, pop, daddy, or even grandpa) a father is so much more. To be a father you have to be involved in a child’s life. Taking on the responsibility of a child is a major life commitment. Most people see mothers as the child-rearing parent, but I feel like a lot of fathers are not given enough credit.

I’ve met men who spent just as much time caring for their children, spending time with them, teaching, and disciplining them as their wives did. I know men who due to a tragedy have become both mother and father to their children. It is never easy, but they did a great job.

In today’s world of disposable families, many children don’t ever know the love of a father growing up. Maybe that’s part of the problem with our declining society. So many children growing up don’t have an example of what a family is supposed to be.

It doesn’t matter if you are the biological parent. Lots of children out there today would have no father figure at all if it weren’t for stepfathers, grandfathers, or even uncles.

I was lucky to have a daddy and a grandpa who taught me all kinds of things. I have so many great memories with both of them going fishing, building things, farming, and caring for animals. The best are probably the stories they told me about them when they were growing up.

If you have a father figure in your life, thank them while you still can.