What does it mean to be a father? This was a question that has pervaded my thoughts from my childhood days. It is a thought that now regularly occupies my mind; as a father of 2 lovely girls. This question is one that is incredibly subjective but is one that resonates with those who take on this role.

For the Serious

A father is a parent who loves, directs, advocates and nurtures his children. He works in tandem with the mother of his children to set an example to follow. To achieve the aforementioned, the father creates an environment in which the children can grow in optimal conditions. A major factory of which is their neighborhood and community.

To this end, I have become active in the community in which I live. Brownsville, the brooklyn neighborhood with an unsavory history. It is also a neighborhood with crumbling infrastructure and one of the worst places, by this account, to raise kids in all of NYC. Despite this, lies many opportunities to create a phenomenal environment to rear healthy kids. The opportunity to create personalized infrastructure for our children. Fathers all over the neighborhood have answered this call and collaborate to create institutions that cater to and serve the kids in the neighborhood. I am one of them.

Project: My Fatherhood Story

This project is one of the initiatives led by this fatherhood coalition. In particular, we worked in tandem with the NYC Dept. of Health and the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College. The goal was to write a "video letter" where the men would detail what fatherhood means to them.

Below is my video of what fatherhood is to me. It is one of a collection of videos that will be showcased for fathers who are struggling with custody of their children and are trying to make sense of the role they intend to have in their children's lives. This project serves as one of several tools created to assist our fellows of the fraternity of fatherhood.

My Story

Steemians, please tell me what you think. If any of your are fathers or considering becoming fathers, please tell me what fatherhood means to you.

With regards,

r0nind