Father...

"...what direction?..."

What an honor it is to be called "Father".  I've heard that title attributed to so many different roles but being one myself I can tell you that it should be exclusive.  Exclusive to men that are willing to sacrifice all they are for the sake of their children..."for greater love has no man than this". 

I am proud to say that my father is such a man.  A man with honor and integrity that comes at you in blunt truth no one could deny.  Not flashy...but real.  Even in weakness and error you could still see it...a prime example of what a husband and father should be.  Yes, those that know him, including myself, can attest to the fact that he made mistakes but the seed from which those errors came had nothing to do with malice.  Instead, they all came from his "humanity".  Something else he taught me all about from both his failure and most importantly...his restoration.  Folks, my father never gave up on me and when it was my turn to do the same for him...his example guided my way.  He never once threw up his hands as if to say "he'll never amount to anything" when it came to me in all my errors and that, among many other attributes, stays with me to this day.  He always knew what I was capable of and encouraged me every step of the way without fail even when I offered him reason to doubt.  Yet in all this grace I could speak on, the one thing that moved me the most was something that my mother had shared with me.  I was very young and living with my mother at the time as my parents were divorced.  My father had a drinking habit back then but it was never as severe as others I've known.  She told me that several times in a state of drunkenness, he would climb the fire escape and look through the window just to make sure I was ok...just so he could see me.  That mi gente...told me a lot.  That told me that I was on his mind and more so...on his heart.  Nobody saw it but her so no, this was no show.  It was a man finding his peace in a glimpse of the most beautiful thing he ever created...me.

You see and that's just it.  My father raised me with one thing in mind and I am carrying on the same in my children as best as I can today.  Instilling the truth about faith, honor, integrity and love.  I want my boys to have as their forefront a pure heart where honor and integrity are concerned.  Actions and good deeds mean nothing if the seed from which they come is malicious and/or selfish.  Good grades, a good job...doesn't mean a thing if you treat people like garbage.  I hear parents say that "so long as you do good in school, you'll get to have...x y or z".  That might be an incentive but parents sometimes forget to prioritize the heart of their children towards character.  I truly thank God for my father's wisdom in this.  He stressed education yes, but stressed even more the side of simply "being a good man".  So everyday, my prayer for my children is that they put character first above and beyond all else.  So far, I'm very proud to say that I see this in them already.  Even when they mess up or fall short of their potential...I see the struggle of conscience weighing heavy on their heart.  Almost always coming to a resolution that would satiate the desire to do "the right thing".  In this...I am a very grateful man.

I just pray that I can continue to live up to the example given me and if that means my children are to wind up being a better man than I ever was...or will be...then I know I did my job.

Happy Father's Day my people...much love

~Moses Apollo