Happy Father’s Day Mom

Tribute to  the Surrogate Fathers

What do I mean by that? Well, this is a tribute to all the men, neighbors, uncles, scoutmasters and others who offer companionship and guidance to the kids in their sphere of influence. You just never know, what lasting impact you are having on the kids next door, at the time.

When the guy next door, takes the single mom’s kids fishing, or canoeing, he winds up teaching life skills that surpass the immediate fun of the moment. It  may seem like baiting hooks, or steering a canoe for the first time or simply the proper way to pass a knife handle first, but more importantly, the value of treating another well is taught. Getting behind the scenes tours of an incomplete Veterans stadium, or standing on the pitcher’s mound, all create lasting memories.

When an uncle (and your aunt) invite you over for dinner and tell tales of the workforce world and the etiquette of meeting new friends on the job, they’re not just sharing their story. They are laying the groundwork for relationship building that will last a lifetime.

Scoutmasters, know which kids in their troops live in father absent households. They provide discipline and character building lessons that foster leadership abilities which will be given back in due time. In one memorable episode, there wasn’t enough fatherly transportation for a camping trip. Our scoutmaster didn’t diminish the value of mom and declared she would have to drive too.

Some uncles teach astronomy, others deer hunting or how to safely operate a deli slicer on your first real job. Sometimes an uncle demonstrates what a good father is by having incredibly large families themselves but still having time to hand paint Christmas decorations for you.

The oldest of four brothers, in a single parent household, we didn’t celebrate many fathers days. But we celebrate now, that we didn’t become statistics. My three younger brothers are fine fathers themselves.  With a single mom who went above and beyond and the generosity of others time and sacrifice, were making out okay.