On a crowded bus ride home a few weeks ago, a man, seemingly excited that someone had answered his call as he remained unbothered by the crowd, sat beside me. Being so close, I could not help but overhear the conversation that unfolded.
The man, under the guise of a tough exterior, was patiently and affectionately explaining to his teenage daughter living overseas the things that she should be looking out for when going to a concert. Each word had purpose, defining care and concern. From warning her of risks such as drunken, rowdy men and being crushed in a stampede of fans, to ensuring that she would be going with a guardian, I was able to grasp just how much he loved her.
The distance of being far away did not stop him from being present in her life, disregarding separation as a barrier to being a caring parent. From a conversation between strangers, I felt like I saw and understood part of the importance of having a good father, which may be further emphasised by their role and perhaps even as our teachers.
A father’s role
Fathers have an impact on how their children can turn out. There can be glimpses of them in us, which can be demonstrated as we grow. An impact of a watchful, protective father who wants nothing but the best for his child has as much impact on children as an uncaring one who never seems to be present. How we love and show love may also stem from how they showed these to their children. As an example, in the John Mayer song “Daughters”, he sings:
“Fathers, be good to your daughters
Daughters will love like you do”
According to the website Song Meanings + Facts, the song “implies that the kind of love daughters receive from their fathers is the exact same one they grow to show men who come into their lives”, with the singer calling on fathers to “take their paternal roles more seriously”. They can also demonstrate how their sons would eventually respect and treat their mother or their partner, making their roles prominent.
Fathers as teachers
Good fathers are also important as they can be role models and protectors, as well as having the ability to impart to their kids the concepts of bravery, stoicism and the importance of family. They can be the men who teach their children what it means to be strong, along with the importance of being loved and brought up in a safe environment. The first push on our bikes without our training wheels often comes from our fathers, who can be the figures we can go to at times of struggles that do not come with any training wheels at all.
Moreover, fathers also have an important impact on how some of the things we love are nurtured. I remember at certain points in my life, I was able to find hobbies that I would end up having a deep love for, which are movies, gaming and photography, all of which were consistently nurtured, taught and supported by my dad.
Good fathers are important. Their roles are prominent, being the good men that we can look up to and learn from. They are irreplaceable role models and teachers, as well as not only being the ones that we can only look up to, but always count on.
Photo courtesy of Unsplash
