The Tragedy of a Fatherless Child (Cont.)

As I’ve been thinking about my last post, I feel as if I did this topic no justice.  Obviously, it would take pages and pages of writing to even hit the surface of the effects on a child without a father, yet I want to go just a bit deeper than I originally did. 

The tragedy of a fatherless child – these words don’t even make sense.  It’s an oxymoron, to say that a child doesn’t have a father.  It’s against nature, as we all know.  The effects of these words are evident.  A child without a father is like a pilot without a flight plan, a builder without blueprints, a quarterback with no game plan or signal coach.  Every child needs guidance, discipline, clear expectations and help, just to mention a few things.  When a child goes through life without guidance and direction, they cling to what society shows them will bring them happiness.  Many times, the happiness they find is actually a smoke screen, an illusion of happiness.  Without guidance and direction, a child clings to what they believe will replace their father, or in some cases, they cling to what is opposite of their father as a way of revenge against the father not being present during adolescence. 

What happens to many fatherless children is that they perpetuate this cycle, as we’ve already discussed many times.  It takes strong individuals, who make wise decisions, to break the cycle.  When the cycle is broken, (or in the rare-case where the cycle never started) we see glimpses of hope and change.  Please note, just because a father is present doesn’t mean that a child will automatically turn out great.  On the contrary, it requires a strong man (and his wife) to educate, influence and guide their children through every step of adolescence and youth.

Man up!