A Thanksgiving Fathers’ Message
Can Your Shoulders Handle Your Title?

This Thanksgiving, fathers should make sure they re-evaluate their
relationships with their children and families. This is a time for
giving thanks and appreciation for the blessings they have. Not how
much money they have, not what they can buy on Black Friday. Their
love, devotion, and dedication to their children are more important.
This will carry their children through the challenges life will take
them through.

As I reflect on my children and their growth, my thoughts are on my
fatherly duties and responsibilities. God created fathers to be the
shoulders their children can stand on not how much they can buy for
them. Fathers prepare their children for the good times and bad times
of life, to be the protectors and providers God would have them to be.

Maturing as a father is gained through experiences in life, mistakes
made and learned from trial and error, hard work, discipline; fathers
need to be a good support mechanism for their children, not a money pit.
“There is no manual on how to be a father” L. Henderson (grandfather
of three), so fathers are learning as they grow. Fathering does not stop
at planting the seed in the womb; it extends to raising the child after
the birthing process. “You can’t plant a seed and leave it alone.”

Fathers must be mindful of whose shoulders they are standing on also,
who influences them both good and bad. Who in turn needs to stand on
their shoulders and is influenced by their decisions. Each father has a
legacy that is passed down through generations, it can either be
productive or destructive.

The collection of experiences and spiritual decisions directly
influences the chronological and parental journeys of men and
being a father, maturing as a man. No man is an island, and no
man is a mountain unto himself. Fathers should not forget whose shoulders they stand on as they mature. The shoulders of support,
wisdom, guidance, discipline, love, patience and other nurturing
elements need to be a positive for fathers for their children.

As a divorced father accepting my responsibility to continue to
teach, mentor, guide and pray for my children, my responsibility and that of millions of other fathers is beyond money. Even though
I struggle at times with finances and sacrifice so my children can
have, so I and other fathers must “Man Up” for my children to
show them by our actions that I will not abandon them.
Money does not make nor break me, because my faith is that strong
And willingness to be the best father that I can be.

My lessons of life for them are just as important as my financial
duties, more fathers need to understand this. Fathers need to see
the world on a broader scale of teaching, mentoring and even
ministering to their children.  As Malcolm X stated about change
and growth as a father himself, “I haven’t  just changed, but
see the world on a broader scale.”

Fathers plant a seed and that seed develops and grows into a
version of them. You will always produce more than what you
planted when you nurture that seed and not abandon it. Even
though the seed grows in the womb of the mother, that child
will be a genetic copy of its mother and father, but have
individual variations in physical, emotional, and even mental
attributes. The seeds of a man will plant others seeds, so fathers
must work to have a harvest of good children, not hell-raisers,
vagabonds, criminals, and menaces to society.

The shoulders of a father can either support his children by
elevating them, lifting them to higher levels educationally and
spiritually. If a father’s shoulders are strong, they can set a solid
foundation, even for their grandchildren,  if a father’s shoulders
are weak, they do not have the strength to weather the
storms of life and can damn their children.

An unfortunate truth in the life of children is a father’s children
may suffer because of weak shoulders of fathers, lacking knowledge,
not valuing education, embracing a spirit of rebellion, violence
and even defying the Word of God.
Each man stands on the shoulders of another man; father’s
shoulders are the foundation for a child, the cornerstone of
their families, homes, and communities.

You lead by example……….
Throughout religious doctrine in writings The Qur’an and
the Hadith – Islam, The Bhagavad Gita – Hinduism, The Three
Baskets (Tipitaka) – Theravada Buddhism, The Tao-te Ching –
Taoism, The Torah, Talmud, and Tanakh – Jews, Old Testament
& New Testament – Christians; fathers have a monumental
responsibility for families, communities, cultures, societies
and the world.

All fathers need to be involved in their children’s schools so
children will be  successful and not struggling, all fathers need
to be in churches to learn  about their duties as a father and to
also learn where their help and support is.
All fathers need guidance, support, and prayers to be the best
they can be.  This Thanksgiving, fathers look at your children
and families with new eyes and stronger shoulders.

Don’t try to be perfect, but work towards being better each
day. Your shoulders are lifting generations to come.
Fathers: Can Your Shoulders Handle Your Title