There are so many things I want to do, but there is one responsibility that trumps everything else. The responsibility is being a father. Is this my great mission in life? I don’t know, but it is my mission now. Is there any way a father can have greater impact on future generations? Is there any greater way to preserve and honor the legacy of a surname?
Tombstones may rot away in time. That’s if you even get one. There is not even a guarantee that the works you do on this planet will last through the years. But a strong word-of-mouth tradition handed down from father to son has the potential to last generations.
One father is more than a hundred schoolmasters. –George Herbert
Teachers can only provide so much education. The lessons are pre-planned, developed for the masses. They are not tailored to the individual child’s growth and development. You can learn the lessons on the blackboard, but do you understand it? Will you be able to deploy that information when the time comes?
A father can share knowledge and help his child understand. He can guide in the ways of wisdom. He can demonstrate the right way to live. Through emulation a child can learn how to be virtuous. A father can teach his son how to be a man, something the school system could never do.
Today as I meditate on my role as a father, I consider the things I can do better. What areas can I improve on so that I may be a better role model? The skills of a father are not developed overnight. It is an art that becomes more beautiful as it is practiced daily.
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