There’s no class that you can take to prepare yourself for this journey. About the best that you can do is to emulate how your father or grandfather played out their roles as fathers and then perhaps make a few changes which apply to your particular situation. And yet our society places enormous demands upon fatherhood that have no parallel in earth’s kingdom of animals.
Imagine being responsible for your offspring until they are 21 years of age – the age in which our society deems that a human child becomes an adult. Most animal parents hang around the “nest” until the babies are hatched and can fly, walk, or swim on their own. But today’s fathers have to deal with “revolving children” who move in and out of the family home long after they have reached 21 years of age as they search for work and try to establish their own home.
The industrial revolution seems to have placed some impossible demands upon fatherhood; how to provide for a family when they aren’t many jobs. In today’s economy, you go where there is work. And unfortunately, family, friends, communities, and churches are all distant considerations.
As fathers, we try to be flexible enough to accommodate all of the career challenges that come our way. But no one can possibly anticipate all of the demands and challenges that come with fatherhood. So to all those fathers who have hung in there and done their best for their family, I salute you! Happy Fathers Day!