Columnists, Opinion
 By  Melissa Cason Published 
7:58 am Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Thanks to all the dads

We celebrated Father’s Day at our house this week like everyone else. It’s a day to honor our fathers for all the sacrifices they have made for us growing.

When I was a child, I didn’t really realize how hard raising kids was. I just figured being a grown up meant I could do whatever I please without consequences or responsibility.  Boy was I wrong.

After we had Jordan, I began to see how much having children changed our lives.  We planned to have a baby, but nobody is completely ready to have a baby. They just think they are.

While having your own children is great, some people are raising someone else’s children.

I know the man I call dad isn’t my biological father. My biological father lives in Atlanta. I was 14 the first time I remember meeting him.

He and my mom divorced when I was very young. Robert didn’t remember him either.

Our step-dad is the only father we have ever really known. We always knew he wasn’t our biological father, but we loved our dad very much anyway.

After all he was the one who made the sacrifices to raise us with our mother. He had his own children, but he always treated Robert and me just like his own.

To this day, we call this man dad, and our stepbrother and stepsister are not considered steps to us. They are our brother and sister.

I do talk to my biological father from time to time. I don’t really have a relationship with him because it takes more than biology to make a father.

My dad was always there for me. He was there when I was three and had a nightmare. He was there when I went on my first date. He was there when I got engaged. He was there when I got married, and he was there when each of my children were born.

The point I am trying to make is he was there. My biological father was not. Biology doesn’t make you a parent.

Love for your children makes you a parent. Without that love and all the sacrifices that go with it, everything else is just genetics.

So for all you dads out there who are raising children whom are not yours biologically, I want to say thank you because without men like you, I would not be the woman I am today.

Also on Franklin County Times
Scientist connects classwork to careers
Main, Z - News Main
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 31, 2025
RUSSELLVILLE – Middle school students recently got a hands-on look at how classroom lessons connect to real-world careers during a visit from an Aubur...
Fire department searches records to find its history
Main, News, Phil Campbell, ...
By Addi Broadfoot For the FCT 
December 31, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — The Phil Campbell Volunteer Fire Department is digging into its past as it works to confirm when the town’s first fire service was off...
Club ends year with giving, reflection
Columnists, Opinion
HERE AND NOW
December 31, 2025
The GFWC Book Lovers Club came together at the beautifully decorated home of Patricia and Don Cox for its final meeting of the year, celebrating the s...
A December revolt for change
Columnists, Opinion
December 31, 2025
Imagine going to visit a relative in another country and discovering they had things that your own country did not. Not only were goods available for ...
Hidden treasures hang on Christmas tree
News, Phil Campbell
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 31, 2025
PHIL CAMPBELL — For Jam Lee TePoel Saarinen and her husband, Jeff Saarinen, some of the most meaningful Christmas gifts are not found under the tree b...
Anglers hold first outreach effort
Franklin County, News, Russellville
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 31, 2025
R U S S E L L V I L L E — Franklin County Anglers delivered holiday stockings to residents at Arabella Health and Wellness as part of their first comm...
Thigpens win garden club lighting contest
News, Red Bay
María Camp maria.camp@franklincountytimes.com 
December 31, 2025
RED BAY — A climbing ivy “Christmas tree,” decorated with ornaments and carolers from “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” runs along the side of Wesley and D...
Turning hair loss into hope for kids
News
Chelsea Retherford For the FCT 
December 31, 2025
When Harper Berryhill began to lose her hair during chemotherapy, she was reminded that she was not facing her diagnosis alone. In a gesture rooted in...

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *