My dad never told me “don’t have sex, don’t get pregnant, or don’t have a boyfriend”. He didn’t tell me, “Don’t do anything that would dishonor our family.”

He simply told me, “Don’t do anything that would dishonor God.” And that statement stuck in my head. Kept it close in my heart. Same thing I would tell my son and future daughter.

Here’s a must-read article for men, fathers of daughters.

And here are my favorite lines:

• Here’s the deal, men. We are morally, financially, spiritually and legally responsible for our girls. When they turn 18, the government says they can vote, die for our country and even pay their own consequences for bad decisions as an adult. But guess what? Even when they turn 18, we are still morally, spiritually and (usually) financially responsible for them.

• We must do our job as dads to ensure the greatest odds of success for our girls. By “doing our job,” I am not talking about providing for them. That’s just part of the deal when you have a kid. Providing would be the minimum acceptable standard of being their father.

• Model love, respect and service toward your wife. Remember, more is caught than taught. She is going to look for someone just like you, like it or not.

 

God, I miss my dad. Sniff.