Men Express Themselves
Where men can share their points of view and more.
Where women can learn about men.

WHAT I WISH MY SONS KNEW, THIS FATHER'S DAY

I wish that my sons knew that I truly mean it when I say that I love them.

I wish that they knew that I meant it when I say that I would give my life for them.

I wish that they knew how much my heart aches when they are in physical, emotional, or spiritual pain.

I am sorry for not 'being there' as much as I would have liked and they needed me to be.

I am proud of them. Plain and simple.

I wish the best that life can offer them.

I have more regrets regarding parenting decisions than they will ever know.

I want them to appreciate the value of making mistakes.

I want them to be less critical of others while being able to be critical.

I never meant to embarrass them.

I wanted to teach them so much about life.

I wanted to be the type of father that other children would wish that they had.

I wanted to be the father that my children wished that they had.

I wanted to show more support.

I wanted to explain things better than I probably did.

I wanted to make them laugh more.

I want to let them know that bad singing was beautiful singing if it made you happy.

I want them to feel less embarrassed when they did something foolish.

I want them to be accepting of their own tears and those of others.

I want them to know that fear can make you stronger than steel or softer than mush.

I want them to walk away from fights and know that can be the bravest of actions.

I want them to make mistakes and realize that everyone 'has an eraser on their pencil'.

I want them to believe that every group is comprised of good and evil.

I want them to cherish the freedoms that they have.

I want them to understand that all decisions have consequences.

I want them to know that money can make life 'easier' but not 'easy'.

I want them to know that I always said 'Goodnight. I love you.' even when they never heard it or I never said it aloud.

I want them to know that they were never expected to live the dreams that I wished that I had lived.

I want them to know that part of my responsibility, as their dad was to set limits and to occasionally punish.

I want them to know that I never thought of them or myself as perfect. No one is.

I want them to know that trying different foods is a first step to be willing to try some of the many wonders that life offers us.

I want them to know that there is always someone who is worse off than we are.

I want them to know that contentment should exist before ambition. Then, each one should share our life's space.

I want them to know that everyone lies, sometimes and that everyone is truthful, sometimes. There is a time and place for each, although they should try to be honest, more than not.

I want them to know that hurting someone's feelings can wound as badly as a cut.

I want them to know that 'when you have your health, you have everything' is more than a cliche.

I want them to know that peer pressure can be overcome and often should be.

I want them to know that extremes in life are seldom helpful.

I want them to know that there is almost always 'more to the story' than they currently know.

I want them to know that what is wrong in on situation could be the righteous act when faced with different circumstances.

I want them to know that acquaintances are not friends. They might become such, one day, but not always.

I want them to know that 'forgiveness' does not require 'forgetting'.

I want them to know that everyone stumbles and falls, whether or not anyone else is there to witness it.

I want them to know that laughing at someone else's misfortune might be the basis of most all comedy, but that does not mean we should be one of those laughing.

I want them to know that attitude trumps physical appearance.

I want them to know that there is a time to fight and stand up for what they believe in.

I want them to know that it is important to 'get involved'.

I want them to know that even the 'weakest' among us can be a (super)hero.

I want them to know that there will always be someone who is smarter than they are. And someone less knowledgeable. So what?

I want them to know that jealousy should motivate them, not overwhelm them.

I want them to know that more times than they realized, I wished that they trusted and confided in me more than they did.

I want them to know that I could see more of their potential than they did.

I want them to know that I looked forward to mealtime, so that I could be with them and learn about their day and their life.

I want them to know that I never took an adult's side against theirs, 'simply because' they were an adult.

I want them to know that every job is vital. And that every worker deserves respect.

I want them to know that they could fall in love with more than one person, during their lifetime. But that love is not the same thing as lust. (Although they could co-exist.)

I want them to know that striving for 'perfection' does more harm than striving for 'the best that one can do and be'.

I want them to know that they should thank someone who does them a favor, even if it does not turn out the way that they (or the other individual) had hoped that it would.

I want them to know that passing judgement is easy. Working to ascertain the truth is not. And, the latter is what helps to make them a man.

I want them to know that manners matter.

I want them to know that I am sorrier than they know for ever letting them down.

I want them to know that I had made some better choices in life.

I want them to know that not all mistakes are created equal.

I want them to know that it is so important to help others. And that martyrdom is not the same as righteousness.

I want them to know that some of the most G_d-loving people are not overtly religious.

I want them to know that as I get older, I see more clearly what I should have done differently.

I want them to know that the world does not revolve around us. No should it.

I want them to know that moderation is key to success, happiness, and love.

I want them to know that blemishes, both physical and other, help us, along the way.

I want them to know that dwelling on problems seldom leads to solutions. (Again, moderation.)

I want them to know that regrets are most helpful when used to offer a sincerely owed apology or to motivate us toward being a better person who makes wiser decisions.

I want them to know that regardless of the loss or pain, only the end of the world is 'the end of the world'.

I want them to know that everyone has a different level of tolerance for bad behavior or pain. So judge others, carefully.

I want them to know that what appears to be obvious, can be grossly misleading.

I want them to know that it is healthy for couples to disagree, from time to time.

I want them to know that their mother is 'The Love of My Life'.

I want them to know that any promises, which I broke, were never done, lightly.

I want them to know that while intentions matter, actions matter more.

I want them to know that they should give serious thought to those who disagree with them. For great value can lie their words.

I want them to know that the 'easy way' can be the best way.

I want them to know that other times, it is only through adversity that we grow and succeed.

I want them to know that I always want them in my life.

I want them to know that I will always love them. Always.

copyright 2015 - Russell Irving