The Daily Gouge

It’s June 17th, 2019…and here’s a special Father’s Day edition of The Daily Gouge!

On the occasion of the date set aside each year to honor our nation’s fathers, consider the following statistics which should have been sobering when they were assembled almost a decade ago:

• 43% of US children live without their father.

• 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes.

• 80% of rapists motivated with displaced anger come from fatherless homes.

• 71% of pregnant teenagers lack a father.

• 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.

• 85% of children who exhibit behavioral disorders come from fatherless homes.

• 90% of adolescent repeat arsonists live with only their mother.

• 71% of high school dropouts come from fatherless homes.

• 75% of adolescent patients in chemical abuse centers come from fatherless homes.

• 70% of juveniles in state operated institutions have no father.

• 85% of youths in prisons grew up in a fatherless home. 

• Fatherless boys and girls are: twice as likely to drop out of high school; twice as likely to end up in jail; four times more likely to need help for emotional or behavioral problems.

Does anyone think the odds for fatherless children have improved over the intervening years?

Meanwhile, the single greatest determinant for a child experiencing poverty in America remains living with a single mother.

Here’s the juice: loving, involved fathers…who are also committed husbands….are, have been and always will be an essential ingredient to the successful development of a child.

And while history and the present-day are replete with examples of individuals overcoming adversity in their youth, including the premature death of or abandonment by a parent or parents, God based the Scriptural family structure on the marriage of one biological female and one biological male, a union which symbolizes Christ’s relationship with His church. 

We were blessed to have both a father and father-in-law about whom we cannot recall a single negative memory.  Sure, neither of them were perfect, but they were as close to perfection in our eyes as human frailty allowed; and we were truly blessed and proud to have had both of them in our life.

We know everyone wasn’t as fortunate as we, and we hope and pray those with less-than-perfect fathers who have passed can forgive their failings.

More importantly, we’ve always been thankful when our dad died, there was nothing left unsaid between us: no apologies unoffered, no regrets unexpressed.  For those whose fathers are still alive, and, for whatever reason, there exists between you some separation, we offer the last stanza of a song which always makes us misty-eyed:

It’s our personal belief you can never tell your spouse, children, family or close friends you love them too often, and we’re thankful we didn’t have to hear only the echo of either our father…

…or father-in-law…

…in our babies’ newborn tears, or any other of their utterances.

Still, truth is, it is too late when we die; so to those who still have the opportunity, carpe diem: seize the day!!!

Here’s wishing all of you a very Happy Father’s Day.

Magoo

P.S.  For those of a mind to view it, here’s the “official” music video of Mike & The Mechanics’ The Living Years: