A Mother's Reflection on Father's Day

I have been looking forward to writing this post for awhile. I thought it would be most appropriate for Father's Day--sorry it is a few days late!
Growing up, I thought that my dad could pretty much do anything. I felt the same way about my grandpa and my uncle too. I looked up to them and respected them for the men they were. I was amazed at the strength, poise, and love they showed in their lives. When I looked at them, I felt I knew exactly what kind of man I wanted to marry. Please understand, these men were not perfect by any means. However, I felt that they tried to be the best that they could be for me and my sister.

Today, I look at the men I look up to and realize they are still as strong and as loving as they have always been. I also have a new man to look up to in my life. He reminds me a lot of the men that I grew up loving and respecting except he is definitely quieter! I also have two little men that I am grooming to walk in the footsteps of the godly men I grew up watching. It is such a huge responsibility to grow men. I feel the weight of it every day!

The world we live in today makes it even more difficult to raise men. It seems everywhere I turn I see masculinity being criticized and men being made out to be stupid idiots who can't control their desires or their "man parts." I have seen the world heading in this direction for awhile, but it seems even more evident in the media today. Just look at some of the most recent movies that have made big bucks at the theater. Recently, the Straightforward Dad and I went out with some friends (you know who you poor folks are) to see a movie called, "Something Borrowed." I had been wanting to see it for awhile because I love romantic comedies and John Krasinski. After about 15 minutes in the theater, I was already done. I hate to ruin it for anyone, but the main character ends up with the cowardly guy who can't control himself and who won't stick up for her. She then turns down her best friend who has always been in love with her and who is always encouraging her to find someone who truly is good for her. Not only does he not end up with the girl, but at the end of the movie they let the girl who is just as gross as the guy hero of the movie chase after the decent guy. Look through some of the other films out these days and see how many of them don't depict men poorly. I think I have probably said this a million times, but if you keep portraying men this way, they are going to start truly behaving this way. Watch a commercial and you will see the same stupid, perverted, cowardly men who are invading movies these days.

What is so bad about being a man? Why don't we praise men who take care of their families and protect women? The world just doesn't seem interested in men who go to work every day to provide for their families. What about the men with disabled children who carry them to bed every night and read them stories so that mom can take a break? I don't know about you, but those are the men that I want to watch on screen!


I am so thankful that my husband is not one of these demasculinized men. He is such a great example for my boys. Men are called to be the leader of the home. The Straightforward Dad strives to do that and to teach our boys that it is not a bad thing to be a strong man! He is by no means perfect, but he strives to be the best he can be in all capacities. No matter how hard you look, you probably won't find many men who work as hard as he does as a father, husband, worker, etc.

The Straightforward Dad and Son

I bet you are thinking, "Why do you care so much about this topic?" I care because fathers are one of the world's best examples of our Heavenly Father. I was blessed with an earthly father who demonstrated my Heavenly Father's love for me. I have always thought that if my dad loves me as much as he does, how much more must God love me? I try to remind myself of that every time my dad hugs me or tells me he loves me. However, there are millions of people out there who don't have that connection. There are those whose fathers never played a role in their life. Can you imagine those whose fathers abused them? It would be so much harder to believe in a Heavenly Father who loves you beyond what you could ever imagine. What an awesome responsibility men have on their shoulders! What a wake-up call to be the absolute best you can be! This is just another reason why it is so important for father's to be in the home. We mothers do what we can and can do an amazing job--even on our own. However, that connection fathers make just cannot be beat and cannot be compensated for, even by Supermom (and I like to consider myself one of those).

I just wanted to share these thoughts on Fathers from a mom's perspective.