My son said the saddest thing last week.

Being a new dad, he said “you know, this is the first Father’s Day that will have meaning for me.”

He’s almost 28.

His father made a series of poor choices 25 years ago that led to our divorce. I stayed in a state I hated, far from my family, to facilitate his “liberal visitation” – and he didn’t see his kids. His choice.

From the time the kids were 12, 6, and 2, he had nothing to do with them at all. Nada. Zip. Zilch.

Finally after he got married the fourth time, his wife found the kids on social media. They were 22, 16, and 12. A lifetime older.

He blustered in and got a court order for supervised visitation. Spent a weekend with them, and disappeared.

Sporadic visits since. Tens of thousands of felony level child support still owed.

My Dad stepped up years ago and has been a rock to the fatherless kids in the family.

Many other Godly men at churches I have attended have been there to mentor my boys and give them advice.

That’s still not their father.

My eldest son calls me every Father’s Day to thank me for filling both rolls.

I never did, though. I never could.

I’m so proud of my good kids, and the great fathers my two sons with children have already proven to be. Despite having no father, a deadbeat father, and a father that abandoned them, they have stepped up, determined to be there for their children.

I remarried eleven years ago to a great husband, who is becoming Dad to the boys, at their pace.

They’ve been hurt. I’ve made bad choices, too.

But they rose above it.

My grandchildren have great parents. My son in law, also from a fatherless background, is one of the best dads I know.

The cycle can be broken.

Happy Father’s Day to J, J, and N.

You make a mother proud…

And more importantly, your children know their father loves them. In word and deed.

You’ve broken the cycle.

Happy Father’s Day.