A Father’s Love

Posted by My Co-writer & Editor

I had a rough life growing up. My father always lived by the motto, "do as I say, not as I do." So while he always taught me and my siblings to clean up after ourselves he did the complete opposite and made us clean up after him. Some would look at that and allow it to have a negative impact on their future but I'm a little different. I allowed that to mold me into someone that loves to stay organized and clean. I'm sure that I work my husband's nerves sometimes with my need to keep everything organized but he secretly appreciates it. We notice that our children tend to follow my lead when we walk into their rooms and see their rooms are all neat and organized and they are toddlers. I see my husband smile in amazement as he says they definitely have my organizing genes. 

The things I did not like about my father when I was growing up I made sure to marry a man that was the complete opposite in those ways. Everything that I asked God for in my husband was given to me. I'm so blessed that my kids have the father that I never had. I can't say that I wish my father was different because I'm sure my future would probably be completely different if so. 

My father had his ways but he wasn't the worst father. He was sure to always tell us that he loved us even if he didn't show it well. I truly believe that he loved me and my siblings to the best of his ability. His mother passed away when he was very young and I believe that him growing up without her love had a negative impact on how he treated females in general. He always said, "see you later" instead of "goodbye" until he passed away a few years ago. That was a very hard day for me because I did not have a good relationship with him when he passed away but I still loved him dearly and had always hoped that one day our relationship would be mended.

I was blessed with a father-in-law that treated me the way I had always wished my father would have treated me. Unfortunately he passed away a few years ago as well. That day was extremely hard for me as well. I felt like God blessed me with this awesome father figure and took him away from me wayyyy too soon. But I am very grateful that He allowed me to experience the love from him that I lacked from my father in the short amount of time that he was my "daddy".

My kids are very blessed to have a father that loves them a lot and takes such good care of them. I know a lot of kids are not as fortunate as my kids are and it breaks my heart that a lot of kids grow up without a father or with one that treats them badly. My husband has a genuine love for kids and he tends to be a father figure to those kids that are in need of fatherly advice or just need someone to say that they matter and show them that they are loved. Our kids are crazy about him and I love how much they all love each other. 

I allowed my childhood to mold me into someone that wanted nothing but the best for my kids. Which is why I was very picky when it came to choosing a future husband that I hoped to raise a family with one day. The one characteristic that I didn't mind him having that my father had was the ability to make me laugh. My dad had a lot of mean and serious ways but if you caught him on the right day he could make anyone around him laugh over the silliest things he would say. I definitely wanted my husband to be funny but I had a long list of things I didn't want to see in him that I felt would remind me of how my dad treated me when I was growing up.

I just believe that every child deserves to be treated right and I wanted my children to grow up with a father that would treat them like they deserved to be treated. In return, one day they will grow up and marry someone as amazing as their dad and their children will have an amazing father as well. They will not only hear the words, "I love you" but they will truly feel the love as well.