"My dad was the one who taught me to value myself. He taught me that I was incredibly beautiful and that I was the most precious thing in his life." - Dawn French
Becoming the father of a child is a relatively simple process. To get pregnant, you don't need much more than sex and luck to get a woman pregnant and become a parent.
But being a father is something else entirely.
Being a father is much more than just being the father of a child. It's about who you are as a person. It's about the way you view yourself, others, and the world, and how those views are reflected in how you treat your children.
Being a dad is about being there for your family—and not just with your wallet when something needs to be paid. It's about comforting your son or daughter when they're crying. It is being gentle, kind, compassionate and understanding. That you know that nothing good is achieved by raising your voice and punching.
Being a father means spending time with your children. It means you are not afraid to show your silly side to have fun with them.
Being a father means taking care of both the emotional and physical needs of your family. It's about being there for your children all the time, when they're happy and when they're going through hard times. And to never leave them, no matter what.
A father is someone who goes out of his way to make sure his children are healthy, happy and safe, not someone who just looks on or runs away at the first problem.
A father is someone who treats others with respect and patience, no matter who they are, what they look like, or what choices they make about what they do in life.
A father is a man who raises his hand and admits when he is wrong. Someone who can accept their own mistakes and know they can't judge anyone else for the same reason. A father is a person who knows the limits of his own understanding and remains open about all things.
A father is someone who understands that he is a role model for his children. He is someone who knows that his behavior directly affects the way their children think, feel and act.
A true father is someone who knows he has to make sacrifices for his family, and does so without hesitation. Someone who puts their children first, above anyone else. Someone who understands that he is responsible for the well-being of his children and cares about their future.
Being a dad means knowing how to have fun. It means knowing when to break the rules, when to turn a blind eye, for the sake of enjoying the present moment.
It means getting to know your children as they really are. That means he knows their likes and dislikes, their hopes and dreams, their hobbies, friends and enemies.
Above all, being a father means that you learn as much from your children as they learn from you, and every day you become a better person because of them.
