Father's Day isn't what it used to be.

Growing up in our home, our father was the rock that our family was built on. He set the values and aspirations for all of us. He taught us all how to be a father and how to honor our mother. On Father's Day, we honored him for all that he meant to our family.

Today, we speak of "fatherhood" as some abstract concept that needs to be taught to aliens. This is particularly prevalent in the Black community. It seems as if we landed here from another planet, so we need to be taught how to be fathers to our own progeny.

Today, there are workshops for absentee fathers. Boys are not taught to be men by their fathers. Daughters feel abandoned by their fathers. And mothers are reduced to calling fathers "baby daddies." Families have been redefined, and fathers are treated llike outsiders in many homes.

I look forward to Fathers Day because of the lessons my father taught me. Some of the lessons include:

1. My father was the head of our family in all ways, starting with teaching us to honor God.
   "Honor your father and mother and mother, as the Lord has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." Deut. 5:16
2. My father taught me that the most important thing in relationships with others is based on the concept that "Your word is your bond. Say what you mean, and mean what you say. This is how to develop trust."
3. My father taught me that all work is honorable. He would often say, "Give an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. Only your best is acceptable."
4. My father echoed the principle often attributed to Ben Franklin. He would say to us, "Honesty is the best policy. If you will lie, you will steal. If you steal, you will go to jail. I would rather see you dead than in jail."
5. My father taught me how to be a good husband and head of my household. He said, "Honor your wife and the mother of your children above all others. That is the foundation of a strong family"
6. Finally, he taught me that respect cannot be demanded, it must be earned. He said, "Courtesy should be extended to all humans, but respect is earned through demonstrated performance."

I have lived by these lessons and many others learned from my father, and I have passed them on to our children. As our grandchildren get older, I look forward to sharing these timeless lessons with them.

Happy Father's Day to all fathers!

Roger Madison, CEO

iZania, LLC