JUNE: Here's to Involved Dads

Father’s Day…it is a day of honoring and praising dads.  BUT,  there is a generation of men who need recognition for helping to change fatherhood as an active integral part of daily family life. Some of these men did not have a blueprint to follow for the evolving family life that required a partnership in all aspects of the marriage. The women of their generation wanted partners in family life, not a division of labor.  Women sought higher education and wanted both a professional and a personal life like their male colleagues.

It was tough on couples who watched television shows that depicted the father as “king of his castle,” or a “bumbling buffoon” who is tricked by his “intelligently coy wife.”  stereotyping was embedded early. The “Baby Boomers” have a high divorce rate and a much has been attributed to it. Personally, the changing face of the roles in a marriage and women’s desires to have a partner and not another person to clean up after may have been another underlining issue.

Hats off to all you Dads, who took turns driving car pools, helping with bath time, reading books, did the grocery shopping, gave your wife a night off, went to parent-teacher conferences, stayed home with a sick child, stayed home when your wife got sick, etc., etc.  You are the generation who renegotiate the day-to-day intricacies of family living! Being a father takes more than changing a diaper, cleaning dishes, or cooking a meal.  Don’t get me wrong. Those actions are important and part of the parenting pact.  A card I saw once wraps it up, “The best thing a Father could do for his children is love their mother.”  Do I need to say anything more?

June: Commencement

        June is not only the month of brides. It also is full of graduates. Two of my children completed their undergraduate courses., giving us the joy of attending their commencements. Attending a “Commencement Ceremony” is different from a graduation or is it?  Commencement ~ what does that word mean?  According to WORD’s trusty Thesaurus, it means “beginning or graduation.”

        Graduation on the other hand means “advancement, ceremony, mark, or calibration.”  This definition is interesting, to me.   A graduation seems to be something that happens.  It is an event.

        Commencement on the other hand has the implication of impetus.  A commencement moves one on in life.  You see that is my hope for my both children.  They are both extremely capable, well-rounded individuals.  The key word is individuals.  Each has picked a different path to complete their higher education. Each worked through their college experience.  One stayed in state and the other wanted an out-of-state small college experience.  Each has reached the same point: COMMENCEMENT

         COMMENCEMENT or beginnings is a time of excitement.  A time to fully embrace the endless possibility commencement offers you.  Don’t worry if you are a bit fearful. Everyone who ever stood at the brink of commencement would tell you trepidation is good, it heightens you senses and sharpens rationale.  Only the brave make mistakes, and the intelligent learn from them. 

         Don’t let the naysayers tell you that there are too few jobs for graduates.  Do your research! Getting a job is like any school project….it is a project!  Don’t feel you can’t afford graduate school.  Look for the right school and seek those grants and funding. 

         Remember you have come this far because you did the work, not me, or you dad did the work for you.  Your life truly begins now.  So, no hesitation now, jump into life with energy, vitality, and fully knowing that you don’t know everything, but you do know where to look for resources to help you.