However important moms are, it’s essential to remember why dads still matter.
These days, there are more children than ever growing up with single moms, and we don’t mean to take anything away from them.
But even the best of moms can’t be dads… and at Abrazo, we are so proud to know all the extraordinary dads we’ve been blest to serve over the past 29 years.
They’re birthdads who have found the courage to place children for adoption here.
They’re fathers who went the extra mile to adopt here. There are some who are now grandpas, even.
And yes, some are also Abrazo adoptees who have become daddies, as well.
Men United by Adoption
We were reminded of the power of the fathers who have been united by adoptions done through Abrazo last month at Camp Abrazo. Dads whose adopted children are now teens mingled with the fathers of babies and toddlers, entertained others’ kids in the pool, and swapped tall parenting tales with each other. Birthfathers were welcomed into their conversations with ease, and you could easily see their children’s pride in having them there.
There’s just something extra special about the fathers of the Abrazo community. They aren’t allowed to be mere bystanders in the adoption process, so they’re just as “hands-on” when it comes to sharing in the parenting duties, as well. This is why dads still matter– because children of both genders need strong and tender paternal role models in a culture that too often expects kids to just “find their own way” somehow.
Adoptees who grow up with both a birthfather and an adoptive dad are fortunate to have both an anchor and a lighthouse in their lives. As former President Barack Obama once said: “For many of us, our fathers show us by example they set the kind of people they want us to become. Whether biological, foster or adoptive, they teach us through the encouragement they give, the questions they answer, the limits they set, and the strength they show in the face of difficulty and hardship… life doesn’t count for much unless you’re willing to do your small part to leave our children– all of our children– a better world.”
Their Legacy is Love. That’s Why Dads Still Matter.
Life doesn’t always go as planned… that’s a Dad-ism that most Abrazodads could surely vouch for, whether they have found they needed to place a child or adopt one. But being able and willing to find the courage and strength to rally when faced with hardship and to go on another way is what ultimately makes a lasting difference.
In February of this year, one devoted Abrazo father braved Disney World with the two beloved daughters he had adopted here. It may not have been his dream vacation, nor under ideal circumstances, perhaps? Yet his pride in his girls radiates from his many social media posts, and that will surely become a treasured keepsake for them, in the wake of his untimely passing just this month. His legacy, as so clearly stated in his obituary, was that “the greatest joy of his life was raising and being a father to his two beautiful daughters.” For all of his other accomplishments, fatherhood was what he valued most, and the love and lessons he instilled in his girls will live on in their hearts (and hopefully comfort both their birthmom and adoptive mother, as well.)
This Father’s Day weekend, we give thanks for all the fathers of the AbrazoNation. We honor our fathers-in-waiting, as well, because they’re going the extra mile to join the ranks of the greatest dads we know. There are far too many to mention them all by name here, but we know all of Abrazo’s fathers (birthdads, adoptive dads and staff daddies. are each worthy of our respect and gratitude.
For they have made a lasting difference in the lives of their families and ours, and that’s why dads still matter.
