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A “thank-you” note to all the fathers out there
B
ack when the phrase “real men
don’t eat quiche” was heard ev-
erywhere, Roseanne Barr called
out through the television screen
with this line: “A real man is one who
can look a 30-year mortgage in the
eye and not blink.”
In many ways, signing up for a
30-year mortgage requires more
ĐŽŵŵŝƚŵĞŶƚƚŽĂƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉƚŚĂŶ
signing a marriage license, or signing
up for fatherhood. Weddings, diapers
and monthly payments
ŵĂLJŶŽƚůŽŽŬĂƐĞdžĐŝƟŶŐ
as a single buddy’s high-
performance sports car or
ƐĞĂƐŽŶƟĐŬĞƚƐƚŽƚŚĞŐĂŵĞ͘
A real man gazes fearlessly
into the abyss and com-
mits.
A real man is involved
ĂŶĚĞŵŽƟŽŶĂůůLJƉƌĞƐĞŶƚ
in the lives of his children.
A real man validates his
ƌĞůĂƟŽŶƐŚŝƉƐďLJŐŝǀŝŶŐŚŝƐ
strength to protect and
cherish his family. A real
man comforts others in
ƟŵĞƐŽĨĚŝƐƚƌĞƐƐ͘
A real man realizes what
ďĂƩůĞƐŚĞŝƐĮŐŚƟŶŐ͘,Ğ
knows he has an adventure
ƚŽůŝǀĞ͘,ĞƌĞĐŽŐŶŝnjĞƐŚĞ
ŚĂƐƐŽŵĞƚŚŝŶŐďĞĂƵƟĨƵůƚŽ
0DUHQ
Schmidt
_______________
.LGV7DON
ƌĞƐĐƵĞĂŶĚƉƌŽƚĞĐƚ͘,ŝƐĨĂŵŝůLJƐŚĂƌĞƐ
this undertaking with him. Living, lov-
ŝŶŐ͕ĂŶĚƐŚĂƌŝŶŐƚŚŝƐũŽƵƌŶĞLJĂĸƌŵĂ
real man’s masculinity.
A real man knows that his wife
is a partner and not the adventure.
When a man makes the mistake of
thinking that a person is the adven-
ture, his marriage, his family and his
own life are placed at risk. A man
ŬŶŽǁƐŚŝƐĨĂŵŝůLJŝƐǁŽƌƚŚĮŐŚƟŶŐĨŽƌ͕
and his wife is a partner on a daring
campaign.
dŚĞŽĚŽƌĞ,ĞƌďƵƌŐŚ͕ƚŚĞĨŽƌŵĞƌ
head of Notre Dame, said, “The most
important thing a father can do for
his children is to love their mother.”
So, a man sees love as a call to ac-
ƟŽŶ͕ĂǀĞƌď͕ƌĂƚŚĞƌƚŚĂŶĂĨĞĞůŝŶŐ͘,Ğ
understands that to feel love or to be
loved, one has to love. To feel good, a
man must do good.
,ĞƌĞ͛ƐƚŽƚŚĞŵĞŶƚŚĂƚŚĂǀĞ
looked at the world and its respon-
ƐŝďŝůŝƟĞƐǁŝƚŚĐŽƵƌĂŐĞ͕ĂŶĚŚĞůĚ
steadfast. In the end these men know
ƚŚĂƚƚŚĞLJŚĂǀĞǁŽŶƚŚĞďĂƩůĞǁŽƌƚŚ
ĮŐŚƟŶŐ͕ŚĂǀĞŚĂĚƚŚĞĂĚǀĞŶƚƵƌĞ
worth living, and have rescued and
protected the beauty of
their lives.
To these men, we can
only say one thing with
the utmost love and re-
spect: Thank you, Dad.
________
Kids Talk™ is an award-
winning column dealing
with childhood develop-
ŵĞŶƚŝƐƐƵĞƐǁƌŝƩĞŶďLJ
Maren Stark Schmidt,
M.Ed. She has more
ƚŚĂŶϮϱLJĞĂƌƐĞdžƉĞƌŝ-
ence working with
LJŽƵŶŐĐŚŝůĚƌĞŶĂŶĚŝƐ
the author of Under-
standing Montessori: A
Guide for Parents. Con-
tact her via e-mail at
maren@kidstalknews.
“Assisting people to become
independent, healthy and safe.”
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