WHY BOTHER WITH FATHERS?
਀               㰀戀爀㸀 ਀               匀漀Ⰰ 眀栀椀氀攀 䤀✀✀氀 氀椀欀攀氀礀 挀攀氀攀戀爀愀琀攀 䘀愀琀栀攀爀✀猀 䐀愀礀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 猀琀攀瀀昀愀琀栀攀爀 and a younger brother who's a father to a wonderful 10-year old਀               猀漀渀 ⠀洀礀 渀攀瀀栀攀眀 䐀攀瘀愀渀⤀Ⰰ 琀栀攀 栀漀氀椀搀愀礀 椀猀 愀氀眀愀礀猀 戀椀琀琀攀爀猀眀攀攀琀⸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 style='mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"'> Because਀               䤀 眀愀猀 爀愀椀猀攀搀 戀礀 愀 猀椀渀最氀攀 䴀漀洀 昀爀漀洀 琀栀攀 愀最攀 漀昀 ㄀　Ⰰ 琀栀攀爀攀 眀愀猀 愀 long period where I, frankly, hated my father and didn't think I਀               栀愀搀 愀渀礀 渀攀攀搀 昀漀爀 栀椀洀⸀ 䤀✀瘀攀 琀愀氀欀攀搀 琀漀 愀渀搀 挀漀甀渀猀攀氀攀搀 洀愀渀礀 洀攀渀 who've experience similar circumstances and feelings. And, it's਀               漀昀琀攀渀 琀栀攀 猀愀洀攀 昀漀爀 搀愀甀最栀琀攀爀猀 眀栀漀 栀愀搀 琀漀 最爀漀眀 甀瀀 眀椀琀栀漀甀琀 琀栀攀椀爀 fathers being a positive force in their lives.
਀               㰀戀爀㸀 Thus, it's been said that many in our culture have grown up with਀               愀渀 椀洀戀愀氀愀渀挀攀Ⰰ 愀 氀愀挀欀 漀昀 攀砀瀀漀猀甀爀攀 愀渀搀 渀甀爀琀甀爀椀渀最 戀礀 琀栀攀 瀀漀猀椀琀椀瘀攀 masculine; in short, a "father hunger."
਀               㰀戀爀㸀 At risk of being political, I doubt there are many of us who਀               氀漀漀欀 愀琀 栀漀眀 搀礀猀昀甀渀挀琀椀漀渀愀氀 愀渀搀 愀搀瘀攀爀猀愀爀椀愀氀 漀甀爀 最漀瘀攀爀渀洀攀渀琀猀 愀爀攀 (which are mostly still "run" by men) and wonder:਀               眀栀攀爀攀 愀爀攀 琀栀攀 最爀漀眀渀ⴀ甀瀀猀㼀㰀戀爀㸀
਀               䤀 愀洀 渀漀琀 愀 昀愀琀栀攀爀 椀渀 琀栀攀 戀椀漀氀漀最椀挀愀氀 猀攀渀猀攀Ⰰ 渀漀爀 栀愀瘀攀 䤀 愀挀琀甀愀氀氀礀 raised any children. I know that if I were a father I'd make਀               洀椀猀琀愀欀攀猀 愀渀搀 猀琀爀甀最最氀攀 眀椀琀栀 琀栀攀 戀攀猀琀 漀昀 琀栀攀洀 琀漀 攀洀戀漀搀礀 琀栀愀琀 awesome and seemingly too rare balance of sternness and਀               琀攀渀搀攀爀渀攀猀猀⸀☀渀戀猀瀀㬀㰀戀爀㸀
਀               䤀 搀漀 欀渀漀眀 琀栀愀琀 䤀 愀洀 瘀攀爀礀 琀栀愀渀欀昀甀氀 琀栀愀琀Ⰰ 樀甀猀琀 戀攀昀漀爀攀 洀礀 昀愀琀栀攀爀 died, I found a mentor in a male therapist who introduced me to਀               洀攀渀✀猀 最爀漀甀瀀 眀漀爀欀 愀戀漀甀琀 ㈀　 礀攀愀爀猀 愀最漀⸀ 䤀 栀愀瘀攀 洀攀琀 洀愀渀礀 men--especially older men--who filled some of the void left by਀               洀礀 昀愀琀栀攀爀✀猀 猀栀漀爀琀挀漀洀椀渀最猀 愀渀搀 攀瘀攀渀琀甀愀氀 搀攀愀琀栀⸀ 䤀 氀攀愀爀渀攀搀 琀栀愀琀 neither a father nor a mother can be everything a child needs. I਀               栀愀瘀攀 氀攀愀爀渀攀搀 愀戀漀甀琀 琀栀攀 瘀愀氀甀攀 漀昀 挀漀洀洀甀渀椀琀礀 愀渀搀 洀攀渀琀漀爀椀渀最 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 importance of giving and receiving blessings from older men (and਀               漀氀搀攀爀 眀漀洀攀渀⤀⸀ 䤀 猀攀攀 琀栀攀 最漀漀搀 椀渀 洀礀 昀愀琀栀攀爀 愀渀搀 琀栀攀 渀漀琀ⴀ猀漀ⴀ最漀漀搀 just as I see it in myself.
਀               㰀戀爀㸀 I am my father's son but I also am becoming my own father to਀               洀礀猀攀氀昀⸀ 䄀渀搀 䤀 爀攀氀椀猀栀 琀栀攀 漀瀀瀀漀爀琀甀渀椀琀礀 琀漀 洀攀渀琀漀爀 漀琀栀攀爀 men--whether through my counseling or just through friendship.਀               䴀礀 琀眀漀 礀漀甀渀最攀爀 戀爀漀琀栀攀爀猀 猀琀椀氀氀 氀漀漀欀 甀瀀 琀漀 洀攀 愀渀搀 䤀 昀椀渀搀 椀琀 愀 delicious challenge to dance the dance of role of big brother਀               爀愀琀栀攀爀 琀栀愀渀 漀昀 昀愀琀栀攀爀 愀猀 䤀 甀猀攀搀 琀漀 琀爀礀 琀漀 搀漀⸀ 䤀 挀愀渀 愀氀猀漀 戀爀椀渀最 father (or king) energy to a project, group, or endeavor I am਀               氀攀愀搀椀渀最 漀爀 挀漀渀琀爀椀戀甀琀椀渀最 琀漀⸀ 䤀 挀愀渀 戀爀椀渀最 眀椀猀搀漀洀Ⰰ 瀀愀琀椀攀渀挀攀Ⰰ action, and accountability as well as many other positive਀               愀猀瀀攀挀琀猀 漀昀 琀栀攀 ☀焀甀漀琀㬀搀椀瘀椀渀攀 洀愀猀挀甀氀椀渀攀⸀☀焀甀漀琀㬀㰀戀爀㸀
਀               匀漀Ⰰ 漀渀 琀栀椀猀 䘀愀琀栀攀爀✀猀 䐀愀礀Ⰰ 䤀 眀椀氀氀 挀攀氀攀戀爀愀琀攀 眀椀琀栀 洀礀 猀琀攀瀀搀愀搀 愀渀搀 brother but I will also honor my father and myself and all the਀               昀愀琀栀攀爀猀 椀渀 琀栀攀 甀渀椀瘀攀爀猀攀 眀栀漀 琀爀礀 愀渀搀 栀愀瘀攀 琀爀椀攀搀 琀漀 搀漀 琀栀攀椀爀 戀攀猀琀⸀㰀戀爀㸀
਀               䘀愀琀栀攀爀猀 愀爀攀 椀洀瀀漀爀琀愀渀琀⸀ 䄀渀搀 眀攀 渀攀攀搀 洀漀爀攀 最漀漀搀 昀愀琀栀攀爀椀渀最 椀渀 漀甀爀 own lives and as a culture.
਀               㰀戀爀㸀   
਀               㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀甀㸀㰀⼀戀㸀㰀戀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 挀漀氀漀爀㴀∀⌀㄀㜀㈀㐀㐀㐀∀ 猀椀稀攀㴀㌀ 昀愀挀攀㴀∀䄀爀椀愀氀Ⰰ 䠀攀氀瘀攀琀椀挀愀Ⰰ 猀愀渀猀ⴀ猀攀爀椀昀∀㸀㰀甀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";਀               洀猀漀ⴀ昀愀爀攀愀猀琀ⴀ昀漀渀琀ⴀ昀愀洀椀氀礀㨀∀吀椀洀攀猀 一攀眀 刀漀洀愀渀∀㬀挀漀氀漀爀㨀⌀㄀㜀㈀㐀㐀㐀✀㸀圀䠀夀 圀䔀 LIE by਀               䐀愀渀 䄀爀椀攀氀礀 ⠀圀愀氀氀 匀琀爀攀攀琀 䨀漀甀爀渀愀氀 㔀⼀㈀㘀⼀㄀㈀⤀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀戀㸀㰀猀瀀愀渀 style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:਀               ∀吀椀洀攀猀 一攀眀 刀漀洀愀渀∀✀㸀㰀漀㨀瀀㸀㰀⼀漀㨀瀀㸀㰀⼀猀瀀愀渀㸀㰀⼀瀀㸀