It's simply amazing how there are so few men taking pride in being fathers in our present time. People say that doing things you're suppose to do should not be praised or rewarded. In this case, I beg to differ.
I was raised in a two parent household until the age of 13, in where my father moved out of our household. Mother, a stay at home mom, had to pick up a job to feed her one and only. I can count on my hand how many times I've seen him since I was 13/14. I'm 29 now. This is a major problem. Not for me, not in OUR community, but in our society.
I've shed my tears and punched walls many years ago over this matter. But, it is something that still creeps up on you and makes you wonder what possesses a man not to want to care or be apart of his/her child's life. It's not something I can even come close to empathize. The pure foundation of being a man is having a sense of responsibility. A man who is not there financially or emotionally for their children is not a man. No IFS, ANDS OR BUTS about it. One thing that I am certain of, is that there is a positive correlation between the lack of fathers in our households and the number of black men filling our prisons. No one can tell me any different, but that's a story for another day.
Many events over the past 12 months have put things into focus for me. Things that I thought were deep into my past have reared its ugly head once again. As a man who does not let much get to him or someone to get over on him, I've learned that some things are just meant to be let go. But one this is for certain, I wake up every single day trying to be a better man. A man who is cordial with everyone he meets. One that greets people with a smile. A man who treats people exactly the way he likes to be treated. But, most of all, I've striven to be a better man than my father ever was. I don't know if it's the right thing to shoot for, but damnit I know it's the greatest motivator I've been given. It's the path less taken, but it's the only path I'm accustomed to taking.
