Celebrating a father’s birthday can bring out many emotions and thoughts, especially for adult children. Most of us get to experience our father for a long period of our lives, from being Daddy’s little one through to Dad seeming somehow smaller. For each of us, those days in between say a lot about how both we and our fathers matured and learned along the way, and what has stayed at our core.
Every family has tough times and good times, and each person has moments of weakness and excellence. Birthdays are a natural moment in time to reflect, maybe forgive, and hopefully appreciate.
I believe that each man wants to be a good father. There are men who become fathers and struggle in the role, and there are men who never become fathers. But given the chance to be a good father, I believe that each man wants that as part of his life — to be part of a family which he helped create, nurture and protect.
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I have been fortunate to have my father be a big and positive part of my life. He has been a part of my school years, my marriage, my careers, and my own family. We love each other dearly, and we both know that.
One of my father’s philosophies is that things will work out. When I was younger I misunderstood his confidence for him not wanting to delve into the details of my life. But now that I am older, I see that his confidence in things working out had vital and powerful forces helping it become true: we all kept trying hard and being kind.
The phrase “things working out” can have a different meaning for everyone. If we are fortunate, “things working out” has little to do with things we buy or tasks we work on, but instead revolve around the knowledge that we are loved. After everything in life has been boiled off we want to be part of a family or community that helps each other, and cares about each other.
For every man who has confidence that things will work out, you have the core of a good father.
