What Fatherhood Is Worth

A friend of mine sent me the following quote. It's a priest responding to a complaining father out of the book Power to the People by Laura Ingraham.

"The time you spend with your children may prevent you from having the promotion you've always wanted, may force you to sacrifice friendships and hobbies that you wanted to pursue, and may even place a strain on your marriage. But this is what you must do. You are their father and the relationship you have with these children will affect them for the rest of their lives."

We all do it. We forget the size of the shadow we cast, and who it falls on. As fathers, our actions affect so much more than just ourselves. It ripples down to our children and our grandchildren. It's not just a single act for good or ill. It's a series, a pattern we imbue on our children. We can't just show up at graduation and say, "I'm here. Good job, son." It's being there, day after long and weary day, for each of our children. Fatherhood is less quality time and more quantity time with quality thrown it from time to time. Friendships, hobbies, and career goals die a quiet death as fathers decide that they will make time for their children. It is a noble calling to be a father, and it is worth everything you put in.

"I had big dreams when I was a child. But without my dad, those dreams might not have come true. He brought stability to my life. He made my world a safe place in which to think and to learn. And though not every boy may aspire to become a football coach, every father can aspire to become the dad of his child's dreams. But to make that a reality, fathers must choose daily to work toward that goal."

— Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin

What more needs to be said?