Daddy Classes

This week I finished my 12 week Nurturing Fathers class, Developing Attitudes and Skills for Male Nurturance. Hosted by Children First.
When I found out we were pregnant, the first thing my friend told me was, you have to take daddy classes. What? Yeah, daddy classes. So we started going every Wednesday night for 3 hours.
The first day I thought I was in the wrong place. 2/3 s of the room was court ordered. Many of those had child abuse charges filled against them. Yeap, defiantly in the wrong place.
12 weeks later. Our final class. Many of them had their families with them. It was cool to see how their loved ones were seeing improvements already. They even form dad support groups.

So the last few years I've been thru alot of learning about who I am and why I do the things I do. I have blamed most things on my "Dad". Lately I've been remembering alot of good times with him and my Mom and Sister. He wasn't the best Dad, but I rarely gave him a chance to.
So, Men's Fraturnity, Experienceing God, Nurtureing Fathers, and a few other programs I've been blessed to get involved with, all seem to put some focus on our failed relationships with our fathers. But I think I'm a little responsible too.

Anyway, this latest class started on how we were rasied, and ended on how we are planing to raise our children, a plan, a promise, with room for adjustments. For our final assignment we were to write out our commitment:
The Father I Choose To Be
Christine and either Joshua or Madaline, we'll see which one soon.
We've both been on a journey for a long time, seperately at first, now together. We both want to be the best parents we can be. I beleive it starts with being the best husband and wife can be.
These past few months I've recalled something our pastor said in one sermon, he's been to ... alot ... of hospital beds to pray with people as they leave this life. He's never heard any one say, "I wish I had worked a little more over time or, if I had only gotten that one more promotion or, I wish I had one more party weekend or, whatever". What all these people said was, "I wish I had spent more time with my family". I know this world will pull us in 20 different directions.
My promise is this,
I will always put you and our child or children first. And I hope that when I don't, you will remind my of what's important, and what's not. I love you "P"!