On being a dad, although I'm not

This being Father's Day, I'd like to dedicate this post to my friend and fellow-musician Dave. I read an article the other day summarizing a lot of research on the importance of a father to a child. In a nutshell, a dad who's around, and involved, has a positive impact on every imaginable aspect of a child's life. Dave is 40-something and has three school-age kids. He spent their early years with booze and cocaine as his companions, so he has some catching up to do and some long odds to beat. And he's determined to succeed. He's been clean and sober for more than a year now, and he's working hard, paying off his debts, taking parenting courses...most of all, he's being the stable, dependable father every child needs. And he knows God is on his side, too.

My prayer is simply that, having put his hand to the plow, he will not look back. Run the race with patience, brother. Keep your eyes on the prize.