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Letter from the Publisher

Candi Broeffle
Publisher

This Father’s Day, our family has another father to celebrate—our son, Xander, whose first child, Frances, turns eight months old soon. Xander himself was blessed with two men in his life who taught him what it is to be a father.

The first was his grandfather, my stepdad, who raised me from the age of 2. He was a divorced father who had custody of all six of his own children and determined that one more in the brood could not possibly add too much trouble. He was always loving and patient, seldom raising his voice and always ready with an “I love you” and “I’m proud of you.”

When I announced at age 18 that I would soon be a single mother, there was no judgement. He assured me everything would be fine and that having this baby was going to be the best thing in the world. Once again, he was right. Xander was Grandpa’s buddy and there was no one in the world who put more of a glimmer in his eye. He attended every baseball and basketball game, every band and choir concert and every play he was in.

When Xander was just 1-year-old, I met my husband, Michael, who quickly became his dad. Michael witnessed his first steps, proudly showing me what he taught Xander when I got home from work. He held him all night when he was ill, taught him how to have a loving marriage and showed him that real men cook, clean and do laundry.

One of my happiest moments was when our son told us that he wanted a marriage like ours—one of deep love, mutual respect, an equitable partnership and a friendship that continues to grow throughout the years. This is not to say that he did not witness arguments—he certainly did. But he also learned that disagreements are normal, that discussion and apologies are a part of the process. These two men taught him how to be both strong and vulnerable.

So, to all the people who step up and step into a father role—we celebrate you this Father’s Day and thank you for doing your best to raise the next generation of leaders, employees, spouses and parents. Your loving impact is much greater than you realize.

In honor of fathers, fatherhood and the divine male within all creation,

 

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