A positive impact

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Tomorrow, Sunday, is Father’s Day — a great day to honor the men in your lives who have made a difference. Whether it’s your dad, your grandfather, your uncle or the neighbor next door, I hope you’ll take this opportunity to thank those guys who have impacted your lives in a positive manner.

I sometimes think men get the short end of the stick. More than once, I’ve heard the stories of the deadbeat dad. You know what I mean. The divorced father who never pays child support, never sees his kids and never takes an active interest in anything his children do.

Unfortunately, those are the stories that tend to stick in our minds. But what about all those guys out there who are great fathers? What about all those grandpas and uncles and neighbors who have stepped in to offer a positive male role model to children? What about all those fathers who live like paupers, so their kids don’t have to? What about all those men who give freely of their time and talents, like coaches, scout leaders, 4-H leaders, etc.? What about all those guys? These are the fellows who we should be talking about.

I’ve known a lot of great dads, and I’ve known a lot of not-so-great ones. Likewise, I’ve known a lot of great moms, and just as many not-so-great ones. But it’s not up to me to judge who is a great father/mother and who isn’t. Those evaluations will ultimately be made by their children. They are the ones who will someday be able to look back and see whose love surrounded them.

Sadly, it’s unrealistic to wish that every child had a loving parent by their side. It’s just not going to happen. But I read some alarming statistics the other day that truly shows how important it is for children to have their fathers in their lives. See what you think:

• 43 percent of U.S. children live without their father.

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

• 71 percent of pregnant teenagers lack a father in their lives.

• 63 percent of youth suicides are from fatherless homes.

• 85 percent of children who exhibit behavioral disorders come from homes where the father was not present.

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

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

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

• 70 percent of juveniles in state-operated institutions have no father in their lives.

• 85 percent of youths in prison grew up in a fatherless home.

• Boys and girls who grow up without their fathers 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.

I don’t know about you, but I think those are staggering, troubling numbers and truly indicative of how important a father’s influence is in their child’s life.

While there’s nothing we can do to force fathers and mothers to be good parents, there are countless opportunities out there for each and every one of us to be good male and female role models for today’s youth. Nobody knows what kind of an impact they might have on a child’s life.

As we celebrate Father’s Day tomorrow, my hope is that those great fathers and positive male role models will be treated to a day filled with love and respect — the same two characteristics they so unselfishly give themselves. I hope they’ll also hear a lot of thank you’s from those who benefit from their efforts.

Happy Father’s Day to all the guys out there who have positively impacted a child’s life.