A Good Word for Fathers!

Today's Age newspaper had a short editorial piece recognizing Father's Day, but more interestingly with a few good words for the situation of fathers in our all-too-hectic world: I felt encouraged, though not by the last two sentences!

Here it is, with acknowledgment to The Age, Sept. 6, 2009:

TODAY'S dawn brings to some master bedrooms a procession of burnt toast and fried eggs, accompanied by offerings of undies, socks and assorted hardware items. Many blokes bear the lesser burdens of parenthood, but Father's Day provides some recognition of their sacrifice; precious little sleep, even less sex, long hours to meet those mounting bills and then - when puberty hits - snarling insolence.

Despite fostering families being a political mantra, fathers get little practical support from government and little understanding from workplaces about spending time with their kids. Even so, older men are returning to fatherhood for a second time, thanks perhaps to fading memories. Or perhaps these once-hard lads are soft touches after all.