Powerful Impact

We were watching a television show, my Dad and me. It was getting late. The last Harry Potter book was being released that night and I was hoping I would be able to purchase it. I wanted to go to the store with him to get it but Dad was sick, he had been for some time and he was not going to get better. The release was at midnight. He let me know it was going to be too late because he was tired and did not feel very well. As I was laying in my bed I heard the door creak open and my father whisper asking if I was up. We were out the door in the next five minutes. Because of the medicine dad was on we had to walk to the store because he could not drive. It was a cool night, but I was so happy to be there with him. We got home at about one in the morning. This experience with my father is one of the greatest I have with him. Not many years later he passed away from cancer. I was blessed to have some great experiences with him before that happened. Fathers can have a great impact on their children. 

There were many mornings before my father got sick where he would wake up and go play basketball. Saturday mornings were the day of the week I looked forward to the most, not because it was a day off from school, although that was a bonus. I looked forward to that day because I was able to go watch my dad play. Between games we would go out onto the floor and practice shooting hoops. He always made me feel so appreciated when I would go with him. My father would walk to church with us on Sunday mornings during the summer. I remember members from the church passing us, asking if we wanted a ride but Dad kindly responding that we wanted to walk so we could enjoy the day. Occasionally in the afternoons on Sunday when we would go over to grandmas for dinner he would ride bikes with us. I always felt safe when riding by his side. During the summer, we would go on trips to the mountains. When we canoed, Dad would be the one to steer and make sure we were on the right path. I think there were multiple lessons to be learned from that. These are just a few other examples I learned from my dad. 

As fathers strive to make the house a home, they have a powerful impact on their family. Some of the benefits of having a father in the home can be that they help build confidence in their children and help daughters in the family feel more secure, they can help with emotional regulation of their children, they are boundary setters in the home, and they create an example for their children. Mothers and fathers both have distinct roles, neither is more important than the other and they work as equal partners for the good of the family unit. I do not have any children yet, being a newlywed myself, but I am trying to prepare myself for becoming a father. As we live in accordance with righteous principles we can prepare ourselves to step into that role. Some of us will come into it sooner than others but as we strive to help build our families we will be ready for what is to come. Fathers do have a great impact on their families as they teach, lead, and serve them.