I do not know about you, but I got married late in terms of years. In other words, I served over 20 years in the military and considered myself to be a confirmed bachelor.
The following year I got married for the first time and my wife and I decided to start a family. I was 45 years old when my daughter and first child was born, one could say I arrived a little late with starting a family.
Suffice to say the least my wife and I also have a three year young son now as well. What does fatherhood mean to me?
I am glad you asked and I will explain what fatherhood means to me and hopefully you will see yourself in my experience and story.
Having served over 20 years in the United States Air Force as a military officer, I had some incredible life experiences. When I compare my military duty to being a husband and father, you cannot compare them.
As a father I bring the experience of my parents to my marriage and to fatherhood. My parents were married 41 years prior to my mother passing away due to health complications. Since I was the oldest son in a family of nine children I observed my parents marriage, more specifically my fathers role.
It would be safe to say my fathers generation was totally different than mine today as it pertains to fatherhood. Back in the day my father encountered a lot of challenges due to racism and discrimination and it affected him and our whole family because he was denied job opportunities, bank loans and educational opportunities.
Life challenges did not stop my father, he worked for 27 years for a company, started a small community grocery store and he put food on the table for my mother and his nine children. My father was a great role model and he worked hard to ensure we were taken care of.
Fast forward to today, I was given career opportunities unmatched by hardly anyone in America. I choose to get married and have a family out of my respect for the institution of marriage.
I take my role as a husband and father very seriously because life can be challenging if you do not know how to navigate the obstacles you encounter. My role as a father is to provide safety and comfort for my wife and two children.
Though I grew up in rural North Carolina, my children are growing up in the metropolitan Washington, DC area where there is an incredibly diverse population, culture and unlimited educational opportunities. One of the greatest gifts I give my children is love and spending quality time with them each and everyday.
My children have never been to daycare, they have either stayed home with my wife while I am working or they stay with me while my wife works. This is by far one of the keys to my success as a father, my children are raised, molded and learn from the two people who love them the most.
Fatherhood is an amazing journey and I would not trade the experience for anything in the world. Be a good father to your children and they will grow up to be incredible human beings.
Paul Lawrence Vann is an inspirational speaker, author and talk show host. He is the author of the book, Living on Higher Ground and host The Wealthy Speaker Show. Paul is known as The Prince of Possibilities because he help organizations and individuals achieve their greatest potential. http://www.paullawrencevann.com, http://www.blogtalkradio.com/paullawrencevann, (240) 416-5077.
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