My son never ceases to amaze me. The other day I was sitting in a meeting when I got the feeling we all get when we are being watched. I turned toward the door and looked through the window and there stood my 6-year-old son with a makeshift sign across his chest that read, “Dad I am Hungry!” I was lost for words. My heart smiled and laughed with love. Without hesitation I was propelled to the door because I knew what that sign meant. All fathers have signs that their children display through the window panes of their heart every day. Though the sign said, “Dad I am Hungry,” my son was not speaking of food; however, he was attempting to lure me out of the meeting so we could play. He was emphatically saying, “Dad, I want you to spend time with me!”

This past Sunday we celebrated Father’s Day. Not to alienate mothers, but every day should be Father’s Day! If we want to examine our community, look no further than the fathers within the community. While it is true that mothers are the thermometers of the community, fathers will always remain the thermostats. Everything rises and falls on fathers. Fathers have the capacity to determine whether the mood of the community is pleasant or unpleasant.

Time is sacred. It seems as if we never have enough of it! Yet, when we fail to use time wisely by not investing in our sons and daughters, we disregard its sacredness. When we become fathers we are saying, “Give me more responsibility.” As fathers, we should never sacrifice our children by putting them off because we feel like we don’t have enough time to play. What adults perceive as only play translates as love to your child.

On Father’s Day, my son looked up at me and said, “Where is my Father’s Day present?” After explaining to him that he has to have children to be a father, he confidently responded, “I am the father of my toys!” Yes, I laughed as well. In a weird way, there is some truth in what he said. Whatever you spend time with the most you become a father to. Your child is watching your every move and longing for you to choose him or her over everything else that has your attention.

Frederick Douglass said it best, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”