Posted on 06/18/2009 1:41:58 PM PDT by Lorianne
As the father of two young girls who have shown such poise, humor, and patience in the unconventional life into which they have been thrust, I mark this Father's Day—our first in the White House—with a deep sense of gratitude.
I observe this Father's Day not just as a father grateful to be present in my daughters' lives but also as a son who grew up without a father in my own life. My father left my family when I was 2 years old, and I knew him mainly from the letters he wrote and the stories my family told.
And while I was lucky to have two wonderful grandparents who poured everything they had into helping my mother raise my sister and me, I still felt the weight of his absence throughout my childhood.
In many ways, I came to understand the importance of fatherhood through its absence—both in my life and in the lives of others. I came to understand that the hole a man leaves when he abandons his responsibility to his children is one that no government can fill. We can do everything possible to provide good jobs and good schools and safe streets for our kids, but it will never be enough to fully make up the difference.
We need fathers to step up, to realize that their job does not end at conception; that what makes you a man is not the ability to have a child but the courage to raise one.
We need to step out of our own heads and tune in. We need to turn off the television and start talking with our kids, and listening to them, and understanding what's going on in their lives.
I know I have been an imperfect father. I know I have made mistakes. I have lost count of all the times, over the years, when the demands of work have taken me from the duties of fatherhood. There were many days out on the campaign trail when I felt like my family was a million miles away, and I knew I was missing moments of my daughters’ lives that I'd never get back. It is a loss I will never fully accept.
On this Father's Day, I think back to the day I drove Michelle and a newborn Malia home from the hospital nearly 11 years ago—crawling along, miles under the speed limit, feeling the weight of my daughter's future resting in my hands. I think about the pledge I made to her that day: that I would give her what I never had—that if I could be anything in life, I would be a good father.
The obligatory “Men Need to Improve” story in celebration of Father’s Day. It is one holiday which is acknowledged in the MSM by insulting the group being honored. Bleech!
I am very thankful and appreciative of the men in my life. Both hubby and my Father are great people!
I guess so...I also get sick of the constant narcissistic “narrative.”
I have yet to see such a sentiment expressed on Mother's Day.
Of course there are plenty of dads who are no good, but the same can be said of moms.
Fathers are passe. We now have Obama.
After all, there are a few of us do a pretty good job of it.
Yep. Mother's day is an opportunity to praise baby-popping, welfare-grubbing sluts.
Maybe Obama should have refined his target audience to the demographic that has the 60-70 percent illegitimacy rate.
0bama claims he grew up without a father.
But it is apparent that this article is just more image shaping from the 0bama permanent campaign, trying to white-wash 0bama’s past.
0bama didn’t grow up without a father.
He had a very present step-father, Lolo Soetoro, with who raised him in Indonesia.
Yes I thought the point of this holiday was to honor fathers not hector them.
Whatever.
Hey 0 how about you stop asking me to care for everyone else’s family so I can take care of my own?
Father's Day should not be about finger-pointing and guilt-inducement either.
” applaud President Obama for these sentiments.”
Your applause has been acknowledged and might be forwarded to the authors.
Because men are much more tolerant than women.
LOL!
Really, good point.
Mother’s day WOULD be a good time for public service announcements requesting mom’s be more selective in the male company they allow close to their children.
Out of 449 total words, 23 are the word “I” Almost 5% of the entire text.
Plus many additional “my” “mine”, etc.
If Obama feels this way, then why did he reverse the welfare reform that was forced on clinton, that helped discourage single mothers on welfare?
I’d say it’s just words. His ACTIONS—in the form of legislation, appointmnts, and Executive Orders—say that he wants to make blacks even MORE dependent, and also that he wants to kill as many babies as possible, using tax dollars to do it.
Good point. Perhaps last mother’s day there was a ‘We need Moms to Step Up’ article printed as well.
Every Mothers Day comes complete with glowing, sympathetic stories in the degenerate media praising some floozy who spread her legs for the entertainment of uncommitted men. She is adored for her courage and perseverance, especially if she farms the actual raising of the kids out to day care, compliments of hard working tax payers, while she works on getting her degree in social work, compliments of hard working tax payers.
Then Fathers Day rolls around, and the dogs who produced her whelps get a lecture.
(Oh those wacky Democrats!)
You know that, and I know that, but try telling it to the Democrats who publish the newspapers and broadcast the news.
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