It's complicated. It need not b.

Ahh...the famous Father's Day speech which caused such mixed feelings.

When I grew up most of the children in our neighborhood had a dad at home. It was a blessing for me and my friends.

Later in life as I worked in the public schools and in social services I realized first hand the damage caused in many families due to absence of a paternal figure.

While our strong mothers were doing a great job it was "hard". Althugh, many great people came from one person households, it still was "hard"

I heard the moans,cries and silence of childen who didn't know where there fathers were or if they knew, had no contact with them.

I made it my purpose to engage "fathers" in the treatment process. Many were greatful. Some told me no one ever reached out to them, because child support got in the way.

But at the end of the day a child's connection to their father is so important to their development.

It's sad that "fatherhood" has become part of a greater discussion in "political correctness."

All I know is that father's give something to their children that a mother cannot do on her own.

Justs my two cents for the day.

By the way, I loved revisiting his speech.

Oh, Sandra...I love your comments. I'll just add that I believe we can do better...We have done better with less...It feels to me like the more we have...the less we do.

You got that right.

I remember a black woman from Virginia woman who was the aunt to one of my friends and was the aunt to all of us in the community.

She was confined to a wheel chair due to a muscular disease. Her husband was deceased. She had no job other than to bake "fruitcakes".

Do you know her fruitcakes were the absolute best? and not only that, she owned a beautiful home, took care of herself and financed her son's college education all from baking fruitcakes.

No one from the community would dare buy a fruitcake from anyone else.

I still love fruitcakes to this day.(I'm an odd child LoL)

There are so many other stories I could tell.And I know you know some too.

Among many books, when I was a teenager, my dad gave me the assignment to read the life story of Booker T. Washington and give him a book report. He wanted me to know of the struggles black men had. It was life changing. There are no excuses. Children(male and female have it good today)

Anyway...thanks so much for sharing your feelings and thoughts.