Ula from my daughter

This is Father's Day weekend and I wanted to pause to recognize the fathers and their central role in the family, church and society at large. I'm a social studies teacher and my wife is a social worker by trade even thought she's in the teaching profession now. One of our ongoing conversations is a dialogue that pertains to the social breakdown of our society, particularly Samoan communities. To be fair, there is a lot that is right with our society. We have made unimaginable technological advancements. We have afforded opportunities to more people than ever before. And we live in a relatively peaceful time compared to the past.

But one cannot avoid the decline in a lot of indicators of our society: the teenage pregnancy rate. the suicide rate amongst our young people, and the poverty that seems to grip a large segment of our population. One of the biggest factors in all these ills is the lack of fathers in the home. Study after study has pointed out the devastating fact that households with only one parent usually has a detrimental affect on the children, especially if those children are males. A survey was recently done of the male prison population in California and a majority of them stated that they did not have a father in the household growing up. All the government policies and programs cannot replace the father. In fact, some experts feel that these policies and programs have contributed to absentee fathers.

I didn't want to get on a soapbox today, but I wanted to recognize all the fathers out there that did the right thing and have raised their children. Children are a heritage from God. The Bible instructs fathers not to aggravate their children. Taking care of our children is a command from God.

Before my daughter came into my life, I would always feel funny during Father's Day when they'd invite all the dads to the stage for their candy ula's. But now, one of my favorite things in the world is to get that ula from my daughter. The best Father's Day present. I'd also like to wish my dad a happy father's day. He's the best dad a person could ask for. Always provided for us and was always there for us. As in all relationships, we've had our rough patches but I thank God for him being in my life, as well as my families. My daughter adores her papa and I thank God we live close enough that they can have that bond. I love you dad. Happy father's day.