Missing Father's

During the past two decades, maybe even more, there has been a seeming mass exodus of fathers from both the home and the basic involvement in their children’s lives.  I think there is a variety of reasons that play a role in this epidemic, starting with systematic separation, which involves child support, visitation, etc.  Other factors include the mass incarceration of young minorities, a lack of appropriate male role models and even plain-old walking away from family responsibilities.

Whatever the reason, the subsequent effects on child development can be excruciatingly painful. The ripple effects are long-term and costly to both local communities and our nation on the whole.  Missing fathers create voids in their children’s psyche, which may seem insignificant for several years. Single mothers may not even recognize the debilitating effects of fatherless homes as they spend their days tirelessly working to to maintain their homes their children lack knowledge of the other half of their DNA. This plays out in various ways later in life, but I think it’s most common as  daughters grow into women who lack the ideal example of what to look for in men

I cringe at the thought of the thought of so many young, talented young girls who never experienced what authentic love from a male should look and feel like. My heart beats for those young women who never had fathers in their home to demonstrate how a man should properly treat women.  Not to mention the young boys who never have the opportunity to truly learn how to be a man, how to lead in a home or how to provide for their families.

In response to the absence of dear-old-dad there have been all sorts of initiatives and programs geared toward compensating for his absence. I submit to you that nothing can compensate for an absentee father, although many things can,and have, attempted to fill that gap. That’s why I’ve taken this cause so personally. I want to help build men up to be great fathers. I want to help isolate and eliminate the barriers that prohibit men from being the fathers they want to be.