Happy Father's Day to all the people who act as dads

Without going into details of my strange and lovely family, I'm honored that one of my sons always calls me to wish me a happy father's day.  He never knew a father growing up, but was raised by a village, as many children in single parent families are.

These days with gender identities more flexible than ever, the role of fatherhood is often spread between different people in children's lives.

I have a big thank you to the religious education programs of the Unitarian Universalist congregations...which guided my sons to their own search for spiritual meaning. And I'm so thrilled to have a Buddhist, an Atheist and a Christian now.

But these programs were more than just teaching the basics of world religions, and visiting some of the major ones for services.  There were curricula which helped young people learn about their own sexuality. They learned how to respect differences, to listen intently, and to explore nature. There were many social opportunities and even summer camps with stimulating activities.  The leaders of these programs were mostly parents themselves, so we all shared our issues in a supportive environment.

A big smile of thanks to the father of my oldest sons, a man who has guided them to become the men they are today, both of whom are also fathers.
Here's my father's day wish from last year.

I am proud to have had a loving father, and to know his father during my childhood.  I enjoy looking at the ancestors in my family, thinking of the many dedicated and brave men that took their responsibility and duty seriously.

So I raise a bottle of ale today in toast to the Dads who shared their lives with the young people around them.