This might seem like a topic I would stay clear of but, I
know dads matter. I have been blessed to
have a wonderful dad, wonderful grandfathers, and men in my life that taught me
different things. From my earliest
memories I can remember what I was taught or learned from those men in my
life. I also learned from my own parents
the importance of a Father in Heaven. He
is the most important Father in our lives.
Men and
women have different divine roles, which include both being a father and mother. I don’t remember when I didn’t want to be a
mother. I knew I wasn’t going to be a
women that put her career first, I was going to be a mom. However, in order to be a mom the most
important role I have in my life, I needed someone to give me children. Yes, I know there are other ways to become a
mom, but I am a traditional girl. So, let’s
talk about the roles I believe that fathers and mothers have.
First, I
believe, no let me restate that, I know that the father’s role is to provide
for the family. He will preside over the
home in righteousness and provide for their family. I
heard a talk that said, “The most important thing a father can do for his
daughter is to love her mother.” Girls
will learn how they should be treated by men by how their fathers treat their
mothers and other women. Fathers and mothers will also work together to
raise their children with love and provide for their physical and spiritual needs. To teach them to love and obey the
commandments and become law abiding citizens.
The woman’s role is to primarily be the nurturer. This is a gift that our Father in Heaven gave
to women.
What
did I learn from my dad and other men and why is that important for a daughter
to learn these traits? I learned how to
work hard and to do whatever it took to provide for my family. It was his job and his job alone to provide
for us. Yes, my mom and step-mother had
jobs but they were because they wanted to, not because it was required. There
were jobs that my sisters and I did not do.
We were not allowed to mow the lawn that was my dad’s job and then my
brother’s job when he was older. We were
to help out in the garden, work in the home, and make sure our grades were
good. My Grandpa Philpot and his father before
him, had taught his children to work.
What a blessing working hard has been in my life.
My
Grandpa Doxford was not always present in my life, but he taught me the
importance of forgiveness. He had made
some decisions when my parents were married that he ended up regretting. I learned from him the importance of reading
the scriptures and loving my pioneer heritage.
I also learned the importance of no matter what, family comes
first. This was not an easy lesson to
learn and I am sure that the way I learned this lesson is not the way my
Grandpa thought I should learn it.
My
Grandpa Philpot was my second dad. I
lived with him and my Grandmother for almost a year growing up. I love him.
I remember his big hands, they would protect a little girl and hold her
hand so tight that she would forget she was scared or had a care in the
world. He taught me that I was special
and that I mattered. No matter what else
was going on FloriePot (that was what I called myself) was the most important
little girl in the entire world. He also
would do anything to protect his family and I knew that.
Seventeen
years ago, I met a woman and I had no idea that she would change my life. I gained another set of parents that have
been a huge blessing in my life. My
children now have an extra set of grandparents.
They have a man in their life they can count on for things I cannot
provide. Grandpa Fronek has been able
to give Father’s blessings, he has been able to teach especially Tyler the
importance of the priesthood. He has
blessed the girls to know the importance of learning who they are and what they
stand for. Sunnie, taught me that it is
okay to ask for help.
Dads
are important because they are the first men in a child’s life. I am so grateful to the men in my life that
have helped not only my children but myself. Thank you to those men that have taken their
time to help out my family and to their families thank you for being willing to
share your dad and husbands to help those in need. I
would be in a world of hurt if I did not know how to work, if I did not know
how to forgive, and if I did not know it was okay to ask for help. How blessed I am to have a loving Heavenly
Father to bless me with these lessons. So on this Father’s Day, I cannot be more grateful
for those men that have given of their time and talents.
