As we honor fathers, this is one father who has been considering the wonderful benefits of what fatherhood did for him.

I am a single father of three daughters who range from graduate student, school teacher, and high school senior.  Two of them live with me while the other lives within a mile and half. 

I am beyond blessed with each of them.  My faith has grown knowing the wonderful gift I was given with them.  To know they are healthy, work hard, and loving is more than I could have ever asked for or deserved.  They are this even with the roller coaster of life and the many bumps we have had to go through as a family.

While many times you hear beauty on both the inside and outside of a person, I do not think I appreciated that statement until fatherhood.  Males can be superficial, but fatherhood of daughters let you know the meaning of the statement.  Having all daughters, it has taught me to appreciate the entire essence of people especially ladies.

You learn the true meaning of love when, as a father, you would gladly sacrifice everything to ensure your girls are happy and well taken care of.  You learn to see beyond your needs for their own good.  Not considering yourself first, but in my case, at least fourth in line of importance.

I have pushed myself to be a better person and be a father they deserved.  This pushing has taken me through the varying paths of graduate school, martial arts, my career, and my other endeavors.  My girls have given me a wonderful perspective on life that I did not have prior.  Like every immature male before fatherhood, I have a long list of people I could apologize to for being not a good person toward them.  I have said many times to my girls who I was yesterday is not who I am today, and I am so happy that each of them made me a better person that I could see my flaws.

So on this Father’s Day, I would like to thank my three girls for the absolutely wonderful gift they have given me of being a better overall person.