It has been many years since my husband became a father. Those years passed very quickly as we watched the children grow. I look back on those younger years with great pride. It is amazing that a man who is strong, the protector of the family, can be turned into a big blob of love when they see their child. When I saw my husband sitting on the chair holding our new daughter, cloth diaper thrown over his shoulder, her tiny little hand wrapped around his index finger, it was enough to bring tears to my eyes.

Being a father is a hard job. You can get left out of the loop very easily. Mothers can take over in a big way. It was just that way back in the times when my children were born. My husband didn't just sit in the background while the kids were being raised though.

He took great pride in taking care of his babies. He wasn't afraid to change diapers or feed the little rugrats. He loved being a father and it showed. As the children grew, he also grew as a father. Sometimes having to be "mean" as my kids would call him. He was mean to them because he said no. Imagine that, a parent saying no to their child. There was always love in the words no matter how angry he would get. Just like that old country song "Daddy's Hands".

His voice changes when he talks to his daughter. He answers the phone to her and I can automatically figure out that it is her on the phone. His usual deep voice takes on a more gentle affect. He does this I suppose, because he thinks of her as his little girl. It doesn't matter how old she gets, she is still his little girl.

My husband also sat with the kids when they got their needles. Anything gross to me quickly became daddy's job. He did it without complaint that I needed to do some of the yucky stuff. He always made himself available for these types of situations. He would sit right next to them and talk to them until the deed was done. Most of the time he could get them through it without anything more than a scrunching of the nose from a five year old that had been scared to death five minutes earlier.

This man worked two and sometimes three jobs so that I could stay home and raise the kids. He always made sure we had a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. He was a very good role model for them. He volunteered at the fire department. The kids were often at the station with him. They got to see up close and personal how to give of yourself. If there was one lesson these kids could learn from their dad it is to give more of yourself than you take from others.

I am very thankful to have had a husband that was so willing to help with the kids. Someone that they could look up to and love. Here is to all the dads out there that have sacrificed of themselves to give to their children the wonderful life lessons that children need to make it in the game of life.

Learn more about this author, Dawn Hawkins.
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