Dear Friends,
I will be celebrating this Father’s Day with my four children – two daughters and two sons – who are all growing up to be fine young people in their own right. It has been such a privilege to watch each one develop unique personalities and interests, and to support their passage from infancy towards young adulthood. There has been no greater thrill in my life than watching each one of my children grow, meet life’s challenges with grace, and find success in their chosen endeavours.
Along the way, my children have benefited from the support and guidance from many others, as well. It takes a village to raise a child, and we are blessed in Alberta in that our communities contain many fathers who give selflessly to help raise not just their own children, but those of their communities. I am thinking of hockey coaches, teachers, bus drivers, football coaches, swimming coaches, youth group leaders, designated drivers, and just ordinary dads who will do the endless selfless tasks of helping young people grow and meet their potential. Fathers contribute immeasurably to the well-being of our youth – individually and collectively, and in so doing build the very fabric of our communities.
Sadly, family breakdown is common in Alberta, and this Father’s Day many fathers and their children will spend the day apart. The loss of a loving father leaves a profound void in a child’s life. The loss or impairment of a positive, loving relationship with a child leaves a profound void in a father’s life. These painful losses accrue, and they leave us all collectively poorer and our communities short of their potential. The Canadian Centre for Men and Families Alberta (CCMF Alberta) supports healthy fatherhood as a pillar of healthy communities, and those children and those fathers who are separated are in our thoughts.
This Father’s day, please join CCMF Alberta by reaching out and thanking a father that you see making a difference in your community. Their contributions are innumerable, valuable to us all, and all too often without thanks.
Health men. Healthy children. Healthy Communities.
Warmly,
Sean McMurtry
Chair, Canadian Centre of Men and Families Alberta
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