by Nikolas Nies

Created on: April 23, 2009

Father of the year; mother of the year, these terms are presented to us as accommodations for doing the things that are required of us. We have Father's Day and Mother's day to bring praise and acclaim to positions that we hold only by the grace of God. Why is there not a son and daughter's day? For a person to be a parent only requires that a biological function take place, and that can be disturbing! In this world of casual relationships, little thought is given into the consequences of our action. Casual sex that can lead to pregnancy is no longer considered an irresponsible act. With no thought to the consequence of an unplanned pregnancy, it is any wonder that with casual relationships comes casual parenting.

At a time in human history where there is so much individual liberty, one can only expect that there would be so much dysfunction in the world. Pro-life people cry out for the unborn, who cries out for all those children who are abused and neglected by their parents everyday? States have social programs to combat this problem, but it has become so bureaucratic that it creates problems of its own. So what should it take to be a parent? That should be the emphasis for discussion of a topic such as this.

Careful thought and consideration should be foremost in any actions that we perpetrate. When we instigate an action out of casualness, most of the time the outcome is expected to be received casually. When the consequences of our actions bear extreme responsibility, behavior should never be casual. Becoming a parent is the most important deed that should ever be considered. The outcome of our actions, not only affects us, it affects all of society.

We owe it to ourselves, our children, and society to bring children into this world, so that the human race continues. However, if we are not willing to make the sacrifices, and do the deeds that parenthood requires, we should abstain from fulfilling this obligation. It should be redundant to label someone a "good" parent. A parent is someone who molds a child to be productive in society. It is someone who gives of themselves to nurture and care for a growing adult. A parent provides for the needs of a child. A parent gives emphasis on the needs of a child over there own needs. Parenting is the building block of a successful society.

To fulfill the requirements of parenthood can be very demanding, but the rewards make it all worthwhile. You don't need someone to call you Father of the Year. To have a lasting relationship with your adult children who have grown up happy to be your son or daughter brings joy that is unending. To see your children grow up successfully and to know that what you did to mold that person played a part in who they are is the most rewarding achievement this life offers.

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