My husband grew up in a home without a father. Like so many kids these days, he had one parent at home who had to work to make a living, so he was on his own quite a bit. But even though he didn’t have a father, he felt the need for a father figure. He adored his grandpa and tried to be like him, and he sought out other men to fill that void in his life.
Fortunately, he lived in a good neighborhood and a good ward. As a teenager, a man down the street took him under his wing and gave him a job where he learned a trade. This same man treated him like a son and gave him opportunities that he might not have had otherwise.
He also had a couple of fabulous youth leaders who didn’t let him get away with anything and loved him for his eagerness and ambition. They’re still good friends to this day.
When we got married, I told my husband that I would share my dad with him. He and my dad are two peas in a pod, and sometimes I have to remind him that I said I’d SHARE my dad, not GIVE him away.
Fathers fill a special place in the home and in the lives of children. No matter how wonderful a mother is, kids still need the example of a worthy priesthood holder to understand how a home and a family function. Fortunately, many kids have these examples in grandparents and ward members like my husband did.
Now that my husband is a father, I’m even more grateful to the men in his life. He has learned so much by watching these wonderful men be fathers, grandfathers, and bosses. He has learned how to be an upstanding husband, a gentle and caring father, and an amazing provider because of the examples of the father figures in his life.