To be part of a family is to be in a relationship.
There is an opportunity for a closeness and trust that cannot occur outside family.
With this possibility for closeness is the possibility of hatred and estrangement.
It is not easy to maintain positive relationships
with those that we are naturally closest to.
There are tensions that exist between family members
that are not present in other relationships.
Being in close proximity means that you know of persons great attributes as well as their faults.
Maintaining family relationships are a tremendous challenge.
Part of the reality of life is hardship.
That is not a negative statement.
It is simply a statement of fact.
Every day brings new challenges.
Living with the expectation that life
will be difficult makes hard times easier to deal with.
When a family encounters hard times
they will need to join together and face the challenge as a team.
They will need to be sensitive to the needs of individual family members
each of whom will face unique difficulties.
Life is not easy, but having a support system makes life that much easier.
Many men will agree that being a father is the most rewarding relationship that they have.
Children begin by loving their fathers unconditionally.
It is a clean slate.
There is nothing the father has to do to earn his child's love.
The difficult part is not losing it.
As the child goes out into the world,
he will see all kinds of men whom he will look to as models as well.
It is crucial that his father stay active in his life and help him make intelligent decisions.
A boy without a father will look elsewhere to fill his father's shoes.
