The Father…The Mentor

About a month ago, I was at my neighborhood Farmer’s Market enjoying the delicious samples of fruits and veggies, live music and sense of community surrounding me.  I decided to sit down, relax and enjoy an authentic veggie and carne aside taco complete with handmade chipotle salsa and chips.

While I was relaxing and enjoying my eats, something pretty awesome caught my eye.  There were two fathers with a total of 3 children each, sitting down and eating next to me.  These fathers were between there late 30’s early 40’s.  One father had a set of twin babies in a stroller & and a 4 year old.  The other father had 3 boys ranging in approximates ages of 12, 8 and 5.  The boys were right at home amongst their dads just being boys, laughing eating, moving, etc.

I just couldn’t stop taking in this view.  It just hit home how important the presence of a father is.  I asked the gentlemen if they were friends and they said yes.  I congratulated them and told them that I totally enjoyed seeing this site as I don’t see it very often.  I also informed them that I was going to write about it and share with others.

This article is not meant to make the single parent feel that they’re children are less than if they don’t have this opportunity with their father.  There are many children who see their father consistently, sporadically, not at all, and some may not even know who their father is.  Instead, this is a celebration of fathers who understand their significance of the role that they’ve been given, and mentors who reach out to assist when needed.

Always remember that if your child isn’t able to see his father consistently, that they have a Father in Heaven who knows and loves them inside out.  Also, know that you can always reach out to male family members, close male friends, males in your local church and even the Big Brother program for great role models.  This will allow your sons to be strengthened as they get to connect with someone who cares about them and may have even been in similar shoes at some point during their lives.  Never feel uncomfortable reaching out for support as most are excited to offer it, and will most likely tell you how much they benefited from the connection as well.  As great as our job as a mother is, we can only do so much as we’re not able to teach our sons how to be men.

I have personally lived this out, as I currently raise two boys of my own, ages 16 & 8, who get to see their father but not at consistently as I’d like.  So, I myself have been on a journey of reaching out to all of the suggested males that I just listed above.  These role models have positively impacted and assisted  in the growth of my boys, while showing them what being surrounded by positive men is really about.  Not only are these men making a positive impact in my boys lives, but there making the world as a whole better, as my son’s will be better men because of their compassion to reach out.  This also shows my boys how much they are loved by their Heavenly Father, who thought enough of them to send other positive men to come up beside them on their journey in life.   My hope is that at some point in the future, my boys will decide to give back the mentorship that was given to them to someone in need.

I’m not the only one who’s kids are able to benefit from what positive males have to offer.  Ask for assistance for your kids if they need it, as they deserve it.

Please remember to celebrate and thank the fathers and male mentors in your life for a job well done!

~Stacy McClendon

This article can also be flipped by applying ‘girls’ and ‘women’ where ‘boys’ and ‘men.’