It’s hard to be an active father, trying to love, lead, and protect someone at the same time. If you had someone who tried, be glad.

Active, loving fathers are tightrope walkers, trying to balance between too much and too little discipline. Fathers are people, too, insecure and needing forgiveness and affirmation, just like everyone else.

The father and child relationship matters greatly. Many forces try to disrupt it. Father and child relationships can be healed. Listening, forgiveness, repentance, honesty, humility, and mercy are powerful.

Perfect human fathers don’t exist, although many men deeply wish they were one. Most fathers are broken hearted when they see their child hurting (even if they don’t say anything about it). Most fathers treasure memories of positive interaction with their child, no matter what the relationship might be like now.

A father’s advice and instruction is usually based on love. If he didn’t love you, he wouldn’t care what you did.

Fathers sometimes cause their kids emotional pain. Sometimes it goes the other way. Frequently it goes both ways.

I’ve counseled many broken men and have discovered that even fathers who have abandoned their kids, can’t get them out of their heart. A father’s view of parenting has been influenced by how he experienced his father’s parenting.

No matter what a father teaches (good or bad) children often rebel and ignore it. Blaming your father doesn’t do away with your responsibility for how your life is turning out.

It’s not easy being a father. Still, one of life’s greatest thrills is being called Daddy (or some other endearing term for father).

Many fathers are resented for failing. It’s hard to honor someone you blame for pain. Instead, try forgiving and say, “Happy Father’s Day”