He was there when the tiny boy came into the world, beaming in photos with the red-faced newborn. He held bottles, avoided diaper changes, and tossed the growing boy in the air while mom cringed. He bought him his first baseball glove, took him to sporting events, attended school conferences, and had “the talk” to help the boy make sense of those confusing changes that slowly lead to manhood. He was the disciplinarian, the one the boy looked up to and never wanted to disappoint. He is the boy’s father. But he really isn’t.
My brother-in-law, while having no biological children of his own, is still a father in every important way. When his nephew was born with an absent father, my brother-in-law stepped up and became the male role model in the child’s life.
This Father’s Day, I want to honor these uncles, grandfathers, step fathers, foster parents, friends, neighbors, and other men who have filled this vital function of positive male role model. It takes much more than the contribution of some DNA to be a father. So in addition to all the great fathers in the traditional sense, I want to include these “other fathers.”
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“Happy Father’s Day” to fathers of all types!
