By Rev. Tom White, June 14, 2017 – Both [my wife] and I thought of Fatherhood and Motherhood as something that simply must wait until after marriage; and marriage would occur after we had taken time to know and understand what our common values were.
We were committed. Committed to each other and committed to the family we were preparing for.
I tried to make quality time for our four children. At my retirement dinner, all four children cited the fact that I was always there for them: I got them to wherever they had to go. Their set time was closely monitored. After the infancy stage, I often took care of “bedtime chores.” This meant giving baths and helping put on pajamas. Then came that most special period of the evening: story time!
Often the stories (which I usually made up) were designed to underline religious and/or moral truths. However, many other stories were just for fun. Even today, I am sure the girls right away can tell me who Sharon Ulabulawicz is. They know where the House of Doom is located (where it is surrounded on three sides by the swamp—the eternal swamp—right near the Eagle Hill Cemetery).
Yes, little girls like scary stories. To depart from the traditional ending of any story was to be immediately excoriated. They have heard the same stories over and over; they know how they end…and don’t dare tell it any other way!!
There is so much more that I could say about being a Father. Let me conclude by saying that a Father means being there for your children. There were times when I put in sixty hours of work in a week. However, time spent with children might not always be quantified; but it has to be quality time.