The Ghetto.

     I substitute teach in a juvenile hall and I've had some wake-up calls lately. Today we were working on an essay and one of the students wrote about how they wanted to be a good father for their kids. How they have to stop gang-banging so they can spend time with their children. They know how to talk about "stopping the cycle of violence", and how they never had a father. Through all of this, I can't help but think how lucky I am to have had a father that has supported me even when I didn't deserve it. And there were definitely times when I didn't deserve support.
     So now I look at Fatherade and I know it's not enough. There are men out there who are really trying to be more than their father was, but they just don't know how. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Showing up is a big step. That doesn't mean showing up on birthdays and holidays is enough. It means being there for your kid regardless of what else is going on. The tools and skills it takes to be a father develop over time and no website, book, or training seminar is going to substitute for experience (regardless of what they claim). So sticking it out and staying around is the second best thing you can do for your children. The first? That's loving their mother as best as you can. When they see your love for her is unfaltering, they'll know you love them too.