Fathers

Another week come and gone! I cannot believe it! These last two posts are kind of close together because last week was busy for me and I got a little behind (sorry Brother Williams). That just means that you are the lucky winners (or maybe unlucky winners) who get to hear from me twice in one week! This was an awesome week for me and I learned a ton! Also, it was perfect that we were able to talk about Fathers and their role in the family on the SAME week that my FATHER WAS IN TOWN! Wow, great timing right?! I haven't gotten to see my father since before I left on my trip for Jerusalem in January so this has been a wonderful Independence Day weekend that just played perfectly into much of the great knowledge I gained this week! So let us dive in!

This week we started with an AWESOME quote that I wanted to share with you all. It says:

"We do live in turbulent times. Often the future is unknown; therefore, it behooves us to prepare for uncertainties. Statistics reveal that at some time, for a variety of reasons, you may find yourself in the role of financial provider. I urge you to pursue your education and learn marketable skills so that, should such a situation arise, you are prepared to provide."

-President Thomas S. Monson

This was a great talk to tie in this week to Fathers and the importance of their role in the home because it reminds me very much of my father. A little back story for you. My Dad is amazing. He and my mother got married and very shortly after were pregnant with my older brother. Both of them were working so hard and barely scraping by so my father made the decision that in order to provide for his growing family he needed to find a more stable income with better benefits that could provide the stability and security that they needed. The many times that I have heard this story, my father always emphasizes the weight of responsibility that he felt to provide for his family and how that is what changed him really from a boy into a man, and from a man into a father. From this point, he decided to join the Air Force and remained in the military for about 20 years and that provided what we needed. My point in telling you this story is not to make you think that fathers are the only ones that can provide for the family or that everything in your life needs to change to provide, but rather that the responsibility and love that a father has for his family is powerful and important to family functioning.

Research has shown that when a father is present in the home his daughters are less likely to engage in sexual activity and in turn less likely to have a teenage pregnancy, the children are less likely to engage in criminal/delinquent behaviors, and they are more likely to be satisfied in their family relationships. In addition to this fathers offer unique situations in play and activity with their children in infancy which helps the child to develop in ways that are different than if there is only a mother in the home as fathers tend to engage more in rough play and competitive activities. While these things may seem small to some, the impact that this makes is huge on each child and shows that the presence of a Father does make a difference. 

It has been interesting to me to see that in the last 10 years so much has changed about how the roles of fatherhood and motherhood are presented. Though we often see how society degrades women, we often overlook how the world has decreased and sought to decrease the public awareness of the importance of the role of fatherhood. Both are equally but differently important! Separate but equal. This weekend I have been so blessed to have my parents in town and I have been able to see this. I am grateful for my father and all the love and work that he has put in and still puts in to providing and protecting our family. Here is a picture from this weekend of us and our adventures in Park City Utah!