“When my father didn’t have my hand, he had my back.”
~Linda Poindexter~
The photo reference for this painting is one that I absolutely adore! It’s of my grandson nestled safely against my son on the couch. In looking at it, I recall one of the few memories I have of my father during my childhood – when we’d sit beside each other on the couch, both of us leaning toward each other, our shoulders or heads touching the other’s. We didn’t have to speak, we might just be watching tv or reading, but I felt so safe, cared for, and comfortable in those moments. This photo led me to reflect on how important a father’s presence and attention is in a child’s life. It also makes my heart swell with love, pride, and hope.
LOVE. I love being a grandmother, for many reasons, but I particularly love that I get to watch my son evolve and grow into fatherhood.
PRIDE. I am proud of the man that my son has become. He is grounded with a strong ethical and moral compass. He is a leader, a protector, a man of compassion, resilience, fairness and good judgement. He has good boundaries, many healthy relationships and a great sense of humour, including the ability to laugh at himself. He loves deeply, and has found his best match in a spouse, a woman who mirrors many of his traits, but also adds so much more dimension, stability and support to his life.
HOPE. I have much hope for the future. Every child benefits from having both parents present in their day-to-day life. I think, however, in the past a father’s role and the importance of his presence was often overlooked or taken for granted. Things are shifting now though. I have hope that the positive legacies left by the many strong fathers (and father-figures) from previous generations of our families will carry through into future generations.
#fathers #legacy #rolemodels #dad #fatherhood