Obama on Fatherhood

The man walks on water once again; vulnerability, humanity, grace and wisdom.
 
The White House - Press Office - Remarks by the President at Fatherhood Town Hall.

And when fathers are absent -- when they abandon their responsibilities to their children -- we know the damage that that does to our families. Some of you know the statistics: Children who grow up without fathers are more likely to drop out of school and wind up in prison. They’re more likely to have substance abuse problems, run away from home, and become teenage parents themselves.

And I say this as someone who grew up without a father in my own life. I had a heroic mom and wonderful grandparents who helped raise me and my sister, and it's because of them that I'm able to stand here today. But despite all their extraordinary love and attention, that doesn’t mean that I didn’t feel my father's absence. That's something that leaves a hole in a child’s heart that a government can't fill. ...


.... I've made mistakes as a parent, and I'm sure I will make plenty more. There have been days when the demands of work have taken me from my duties as a father and I’ve missed some moments in my daughters’ lives that I’ll never get back. So I’ve been far from perfect.

But in the end, it’s not about being perfect. It’s not always about succeeding; but it’s about always trying. And that's something everybody can do. It’s about showing up and sticking with it; and going back at it when you mess up; and letting your kids know -- not just with words, but with deeds -- that you love them and that you're always -- they're always your first priority.

Comments

[ecodad]

I agree wholeheartedly with Obama's comments - I think that absent fathers not only have a devastating effect on the family unit, but on the planet as a whole. As a Co-Founder of Ecodads I think that fathers can be role models for their children in sustainable living practices. We are just launching the alpha version of our website this Father’s Day at http://www.ecodads.org/ and just starting to building out Membership, Chapter Presidents and social media pages. Our mission is to be an active network of dads who serve as positive role models for our children to build a flourishing future. We plan on doing this by building community programs that support sustainable economic, social and environmental development. Please visit today and see how you can get involved!