Mother, Father.
If you look up the verb form of that first word—what it means to mother someone—your dictionary will tell you something like this: To mother is to protect and care for a child, or someone else in need.
Now, look up the verb form of Father. Most of the time, fathering refers not to protecting and caring for the weak. It means siring offspring. Donating semen.
In fact, right after I launched this website, I went to Google and typed in the name. You know what Google asked, at the top of the meager page of search results?
If you want to be an intentional parent,
Google seems to be asking, surely you must be a mother, right?
Right?
Or consider this: After Chuck Colson spent time in prison for his part in Nixon Administration crimes, he started a ministry serving prisoners. One year, they offered inmates an opportunity to send Mother’s Day cards to their mothers. The response was so overwhelming that Colson’s team needed crates and crates of extra cards. Even the most hardened convicts wanted to honor their mothers.
Inspired by this, Colson’s team decided to give the same men a similar opportunity, on Father’s Day. To their surprise, almost no one took them up on the offer. Thank my father? For what?
Fathers, we’ve got to do better while there’s still time. What does this mean in practice?
Pulling our own weight.
Dialing out of our distractions, and into the lives of our children.
Making a damn difference, starting with giving a damn.
Striving despite our weaknesses. Despite our failings. Despite how our fathers may have failed us. Becoming more like the men we wished we’d had in our lives when we were kids.
Dads, I hope you’ll join us.
