I have to face it, without my two dads I would be a very different man.

Most people who know me, understand that I shy away from that which is politically correct.

This Fathers Day, it seemed to be an excellent time to reinforce that understanding, and offer a view that may not be widely held. Try as I might, I can no longer disguise the fact that I have not one, but two fathers; each of whom are so incredibly important, that the loss of either one would leave me in a state of severe depression.

Both of my fathers have cared for me since I was young, somehow knowing what to provide for my brothers and I, and always making sure we had what was needed. Though they did not always provide the things that we wanted, there is no question we were never without the essentials, and those necessary things were given with unconditional love, and often a touch of sacrifice.

Father number one gave me life, held me in his arms and a promise that if I played by the house rules, everything would be OK in the end. When I or my brothers misbehaved, and DIDN’T follow the rules, he showed how much we mattered to him, and didn’t cast us out. For all the trouble I have been in he still loved me, and at one point gave up that which mattered most to him so I could turn out alright.

And he didn’t look back.

Father number two also held me in his arms. He gave me a name, and a life worthy of a prince. He too did not always give us boys everything we wanted, yet he knew our needs before we did, and was resourceful. His guidance kept us out of trouble for the most part, and like father number one when I failed, he forgave my youthful indiscretions; not because I was always deserving of such forgiveness, but because he so loved me, that it was apparently worth it to do so.

Perhaps it was only today that the thought of writing about my two fathers even occurred, but I have certainly been keenly aware of how their participation in my life has worked to make me a better man.

I feel for those with only one dad, and especially so, for those with no dad at all.

How empty a life must be without the guidance, the correction, and the love that can come from such a combination that I and my brothers have had. As I enjoyed the pastor’s sermon this morning about the importance of fatherhood, it occurred to me that the statistics he cited were incredibly analogous to what we face as a nation which is losing its ‘dad.’

In our physical world, the higher youth mortality, lower performance, bad decision making, higher crime; all so tied to fatherless households, held a deeper instruction for the spiritual. He noted that even where dad might not think he has done such a good job, the fact remains that children do better with a father in the house. Just by the father being there, it gives the child the best chance to survive, to thrive, succeed, and prosper.

Those statistics were dead on.

How telling it is, when one looks at the soulless appetite encouraged by certain political machinations, those statistics played out on a larger scale stand right out.

The fatherless households of those who allow a government to take the place of their dads must be a terrifying place for the children. Missing in those homes is a guide, and the love that can only come from those who are with you all the time; if not physically, very much so spiritually.

Indeed, I love my two dads with a passion I may not have understood years ago. And now as a father of two beautiful children who are grown and gone, I can only hope for the same feelings for their own two dads; as politically incorrect as it may seem in our increasingly Godless world.

I celebrate this Father’s Day with the understanding that I have never been let down by God my father, and his sacrifices made for me, nor my flesh and blood father Michael, who has been the man I admire, and would be proud to be.

Happy Fathers Day,

Dads.

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