Fifth, start now to make positive contributions to your children s memories of their childhood. You cannot guarantee that their memories will not accentuate the negative while ignoring the positive, but you can create a basis today for being remembered as a great father tomorrow. It is all in the execution. Time and focus are all that separate a good father from a rotten father. There is no such thing as a few minutes of quality time.
Quality means attention, dedication, commitment, talent, and, above all, ample time.
Everything else is dessert. Being there, wanting to be there, committing oneself to being there, being proud of being there, putting up with the messes and the disappointments and one s own shortcomings, and still choosing to be there for this childthat is what fathering is all about. And don t worry too much about not having all the answers. It s just a ball in the gutter. Hey, Dad, need a laugh.