A good dad is just as important as a good mom. Ideally, the mother is soft and nurturing, and the father is the tougher disciplinarian. This balance of tenderness and strength is essential. The nurturer represents the loving side of life, while the enforcer upholds the rule of law. Both aspects teach children to form loving bonds while also accepting limits and boundaries. The ability to love others while respecting each other’s rights is key to successful relationships.
Dads are an important part of any child’s life. Their participation and character help shape their children’s self-esteem. Children feel more secure when two parents are actively involved in their lives.
Men are expected to be strong yet vulnerable; these dual states are not imposed on women. There is a demand that men be less “toxic” and more respectful of women, not so much the other way around. Every mother knows her child is hers, but some men never know they had a child.
It takes two to bring a child into the world. Even though women carry the pregnancy, that baby could not be born without both parents.
Healthy masculine and feminine energy from two parents is always better than single parenting. Kids long for both. Sometimes stepfathers, legal adopters, uncles, or grandfathers serve as surrogate dads, taking responsibility for providing for and caring for other people’s children. Many of these surrogates are never acknowledged for all they provide, and their efforts are often taken for granted. Voluntary parenting is a true treasure and a gift.
A dad is someone who can counteract the uncertainties and anxieties of an ever-changing world. While it “Takes a community” to raise a child, the best community is a loving mother and father.
Not everyone can celebrate Father’s Day. Some kids don’t know their fathers because their dads were absent or emotionally unavailable. Some had great fathers; others, not so great, or something in between. None of us would be alive without a biological father.
If you do have a dad and he’s in your life, don’t forget to acknowledge what he’s done for you. It’s easy to take a parent’s efforts for granted. Most dads don’t expect a pat on the back, but appreciation for a good dad is even more reason to give them one.
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Donna Marks is an educator, licensed psychotherapist, and addictions counselor in Palm Beach, Florida. She has worked with over 6,000 clients. Donna’s struggle with addiction brought her to a worldwide search for healing. She became licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in 1987. In 1989, she earned a Doctorate Degree in Adult Education, then became Certified in Addictions, Gestalt Therapy, Psychoanalysis, Hypnosis, and Sex Therapy. Donna developed an award-winning addiction training program at Palm Beach Community College. She co-owns an outpatient treatment program and serves as a consultant to treatment centers. For 36 years, she has taught A Course in Miracles.
Donna is the author of three books: the multi-award-winning title Exit the Maze: One Addiction, One Cause, One Cure, and Learn, Grow, Forgive: A Path to Spiritual Success, The Healing Moment: Seven Paths to Turn Messes into Miracles of Love, and her latest fiction, Fortis & Sapiente – A Tale of Two Lovers Who Successfully Navigate the Murky Waters of Love. Donna is a public speaker and has shared her methods with millions of listeners on podcasts and radio shows.
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