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Father's Day

Father's Day used to be a tough holiday for me. When I was younger, I felt left out as if a bigger spotlight was being shone on the fact that I was the child of a single mother. That my brother and I didn't have the strong, constant male influence our friends had. Thankfully, looking back, I can see where uncles and fathers of friends stood in when they could. I didn't connect those dots back then but I do now...as a parent looking back through the eyes of a child. I am incredibly grateful to each of them.



He Didn't Have to Be - Brad Paisley

"Lookin' back all I can say about all the things he did for me
Is I hope I'm at least half the dad that he didn't have to be.."


As I've gotten older and worked with more and more students, I've seen how the lack of a father figure significantly impacts self-esteem. So today, I am thinking about what some of the most resilient kids I've ever met don't have. 

It causes me to understand, even more, how important it is for us to stand up for these kids. Kids without fathers. Kids with fewer chances out of the gate than their peers. Kids who face adversity at every turn. Kids who feel forgotten or maybe even outcasted. Kids who make the biggest mistakes. Kids who sabotage improvement. Kids who take two steps forward and three steps back. Kids who do all of this on purpose at times or so it seems.

I think about adults who don't give up on these kids. It's not easy to keep showing up and refilling jars of hope everytime they run empty. It takes a toll on your heart and your efforts. 

You wonder if it even matters or if the efforts are misguided. 

Some will tell you it is. But, you know better. Part by part, we put our kids back together. We show them that we won't stop believing in them even when times get rough. Pushing through the toughness of their todays allows us the opportunity to teach lessons they can carry with them tomorrow and forward.

Here's to beating the odds, step by step and piece by piece.

Piece by Piece - Kelly Clarkson
"But piece by piece, he collected me up
Off the ground, where you abandoned things..."

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