Dad, I stink.

I love the airbrush feature of Corel! =^^=

One of these days I'm going to learn how to draw a decent background as well, but I wanted to emphasize the characters anyways



Story:

Young Rothman entered high school all of 4'6” tall. He finished it three years later 6'4” tall. How do you operate when it seems like your body is 1/2” longer than it was last night? Especially when the world apparently values athletic ability over intellectual capacity?

Gym class was a particular nightmare for the uncoordinated skunk. It was the only course he ever got anything less than an “A” in. His peers were keenly aware of it too, and took every opportunity to remind him of that fact as well. Teacher's advice to “Suck it up” and “drive on” rang especially hollow in the gangly skunks ears.

The shame, disgrace and isolation of adolescence would have been unbearable, were it not for the timely intervention of the world's greatest superhero, Dad. It is amazing how much hell one can endure, as long as you know that you have the unconditional love and support of someone at home whom you love and respect.



This is a scene I really wish I could say that came from my childhood. Only part of it did.


Father:

You are so much more important than a paycheck, food on the table, and a roof over our head. That is how you show your love, through service. But sometimes we need to ask a little more of you. We need to hear the words “I love you, son” actually come from your mouth. We want to feel the arms of the man we hold in such high esteem around us.

We want to hear “It's all right” even when the rest of the world calls us “loser, nerd, klutz, prude”, or worse... We want to know that there is someone on our side,even when we fail at what the world says is important.

Fatherhood is such a titanic responsibility. Learn from the mistakes of others, maybe even your own father. You only get one chance to shape that young life that has been placed in your hands. Once that time is gone, it is gone forever, never to return!

Please don't mistake this as downgrading the role of motherhood, but it is so much easier for mothers to express their love for their children. Men are forced by the lies of this world into some bizarre stand-offish role where we are unable to display emotion. Taking the pain of life and bottling it down only leads to unhealthy pressure in a young man's life. It eventually will come out, and aided by testosterone it won't be pretty.

So again, if anyone out there is a father, tell your son that you love them. Tell them that you're proud of them! Give them a man-hug!

If you are a young man who is looking forward to fatherhood, but has never received the love of his father, break the cycle! You know the pain you felt growing up, don't inflict it on your children! It might seem hard and awkward at first, but be genuine in your praise of your offspring. You will not regret it!

For these little ones are the most enduring legacy we will leave to this world!