President Obama Speaks on Fatherhood
President Barack Obama, a man who has accomplished great and amazing things in his life time. A Harvard Law School graduate, U.S. Senator, the 44th President of the United States and the nation’s first African American President, but in spite of his success, there are some challenges in his life, which are “common” too many of us. He was raised in a single-parent home by his mom with help from his grand-parents.
Since he was raised without his father, it helped him to understand the importance of
being involved in the lives of his own children.
Below are excerpters of his comments during a town hall meeting at the White House, where he invited some local youth and fathers from various backgrounds.
“And when fathers are absent — when they abandon their responsibilities to their children — we know the damage that that does to our families. Some of you know the statistics: Children who grow up without fathers are more likely to drop out of school and wind up in prison. They’re more likely to have substance abuse problems, run away from home, and become teenage parents themselves.”
“And I say this as someone who grew up without a father in my own life. I had a heroic mom and wonderful grandparents who helped raise me and my sister, and it’s because of them that I’m able to stand here today. But despite all their extraordinary love and attention, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t feel my father’s absence. That’s something that leaves a hole in a child’s heart that a government can’t fill.”
“If we want our children to succeed in life, we need fathers to step up. We need fathers to understand that their work doesn’t end with conception — that what truly makes a man a father is the ability to raise a child and invest in that child.”
“I know that some of the young men who are here today might have their own concerns one day about being a dad. Some of you might be worried that if you didn’t have a father, then you don’t know how to be one when your turn comes. Some of you might even use that as an excuse, and say, “Well, if my dad wasn’t around, why should I be?”
“Let’s be clear: Just because your own father wasn’t there for you, that’s not an excuse for you to be absent also — it’s all the more reason for you to be present. There’s no rule that says that you have to repeat your father’s mistakes. Just the opposite — you have an obligation to break the cycle and to learn from those mistakes, and to rise up where your own fathers fell short and to do better than they did with your own children.”
“That’s what I’ve tried to do in my life. When my daughters were born, I made a pledge to them, and to myself, that I would do everything I could to give them some things I didn’t have. And I decided that if I could be one thing in life, it would be to be a good father.”
To read the entire article, A Town Hall on Fatherhood.
Men, our children need us to be actively involved in their lives.
If you will join the President and other men who have decided to “break” the cycle of absentee fathers in the lives of their children, make a commitment today. Regardless of your involvement in the past, make a “fresh” start today.
Fathers Day is a GREAT day to make a new commitment to Fatherhood!!
To provide men with some practical ways to be more involved in their child’s life, I have written a report that I want you to have. To request your FREE copy of the, “10 Ways Dads Can Positively Impact Their Child”, see the request box on this site.
If you are struggling with some issues regarding your relationship with your father, please click on the following articles for more information, “Dealing With Your Daddy Wounds” and “Happy Fathers Day.
Please provide me your comments on this topic. If you have additional topics you would like to see us discuss, please send me an email or post a comment.
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For the woman in your life, my wife (Sylvia) has a personal development site focused specifically on the needs and concerns of women. The site is called, www.thedashlady.com.
Also, we have a joint site focused on the needs and concerns of couples
(i.e. married, engaged, and seriously dating). This site is focused on helping couples to grow together through personal development. The site is called, www.marriagerhythm.com.
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Again, thanks for visiting this site.
Randy
The “DASH” Guy
