Fathers Are Nurturers Too!

I would like to take this opportunity to salute all fathers who are their children’s DAD. Any male with reproductive organs can procreate a child; it’s biological. That's the easiest part. Now the real work comes with fathering or what I will call "being a Dad". Dads nurture their children. The process of nurturing children is not biological. Anyone can nurture a child whether they are his offspring or not. To nurture crosses many verticals in life like social, spiritual, financial, intellectual and emotional.

Some believe that men don’t know how to nurture or are incapable. This is a misnomer. God, our Father, is the ultimate Nurturer. He created male kind with unlimited abilities that reflect His nature. To nurture by definition means: to feed and protect, to support and encourage during the period of training and development, to bring up, rearing. I am blessed with a wonderful example of a father's ability to nurture. My Dad raised me, single-handedly, from the age of 5 months old.

Although this is a rarity, there are many men who are nuturing their children and perhaps someone else's, whether they are single, married or divorced. During the month of May, never-ending showers of accolades are given to mothers everywhere for what they do and who they are in their children's lives. I am a mother of two and I thoroughly enjoy that celebratory occasion. I find it very encouraging and rewarding. Nonetheless, a mother's love is not greater than a father's love, maybe expressed differently but not superior. We all should strive to have God's kind of love, Agape. Agape love is unconditional. Agape says "I love you" regardless...

In the Bible, we have countless examples of God's, the Father's, love and also other great men. I want to tell you today, those same great men exist today. I see them all around me. There is none who has mastered perfect parenting except for God, but there are those who strive towards being the best examples they can be for their children .

Here are 35 things I learned from my Dad as a woman:

1. How to be a person of more actions and less words
2. How to provide for myself and be provided for
3. How to aim high with faith in God's ability to see me through
4. How to accomplish without excuses or hindrances
5. How to submit to and respect authority
6. How to prioritize my goals and plans in life
7. How to love God, myself and others
8. How to act like a "Lady"
9. How to defend myself from broken people
10. How to be my children's number one advocate
11. How to express my ideas and beliefs
12. How to be grounded and principled
13. The importance of a "good name", from credit to reputation
14. How to say "I'm sorry"
15. How to allow myself room to grow throughout life
16. How to never cease learning
17. How to have my own fashion sense and style
18. How to be equipped for all seasons
19. How to be domesticated, cook, clean, change a tire, decorate, be a handyman
20. How to give and what to give
21. What value I have and what not to accept
22. How to be loyal, regardless of fault or blame
23. How to be quiet
24. When to speak up
25. How to not to be needy for others' acceptance
26. How to delay not deny gratification
27. How to be an example for my children
28. How to lead and when to follow
29. How to discern others motives towards me
30. How to enjoy life
31. How to appreciate things and people
32. How protect my children
33. How to be content whether I'm abase or abound
34. How to bounce back
35. How to be logical and rationalize