You can learn quite a bit by walking in someone else's shoes, if even only for a minute. Being a single mom as I've said is strenuous work. I often laugh when I over hear other women say how hard it is when their husbands are gone for a day or even a few hours. Ya, try that being your life. But what about the single dads? The ones who have to do it all on their own. We so often hear about fathers abandoning their children, but guess what, so do mothers. So here is to all the dads out there.
Something that has helped myself personally cope with being a single mom is joining single parent support groups. Typically I only joined single mom groups until a few months ago when I joined a group for all single parents. And let me tell you, it was a major eye opener. Dads more times then not get a bad wrap. They get classified as dead beats or dads who just simply don't care. But there are way more good dads out there that should be recognized and given credit where it is due. Not all dads are deadbeats.
A common topic brought up in these groups is the dreaded and down right dirty custody battles. Up until a few months ago I simply looked at it from my side only, a single moms position. It wasn't until I heard first hand single dads stories that my heart absolutely broke. Some of these men have been fighting for years, some have lost their kids simply because their mother doesn't want them in their life for no reason at all and some of them are doing it all on their own because their mother just decided one day to walk out. But you know what, regardless of their situation, these men get up every day and still continue to fight for their kids, love their kids and do a damn good job being a dad.
Blood doesn't make you a dad. Stepping up every single day and being present in the life of your children makes you a dad. So here is to all the dads who make an effort every day of the year to be the best they can be. The ones who get up in the middle of the night to scare away the monsters, kiss their kids boo-boos, let their daughters paint their nails and agree to any and every ridiculous request in between. Thank you. A child needs both parents whether they are together or not.
Thank you to all the single dads who refuse to give up fighting for their kids. I know it is exhausting, trust me, but thank you for showing them they are worth fighting for. Thank you to all the men who heal hearts they didn't break and raise kids they didn't make. Thank you for stepping up and being a strong male figure in the life's of those kids. Thank you to all the dads who adopt, foster and raise kids who need love more then anything. Their world is so much brighter because of you. And thank you to all the dads around the world who wake up everyday and work to support their family, and then come home and give their kids their full attention. Thank you dads. Here's to you on Father's day.
~Your children will become who you are, so be who you want them to be.~
