Fatherhood and Archie Bunker

This Sunday is Father’s Day.  It made me think a little bit about the Fathers that are portrayed on TV.  Remember that old show “All in the Family” where Carroll O’Conner played the role of Archie Bunker?  You probably at least remember the theme song, right (Boy the way Glen Miller played…Songs that made the hit parade…Guys like us we had it made…Those were the days…).

It really was a popular and very funny show.  I still enjoy the reruns when they are aired.  I read recently that the actor that played Archie Bunker said that wherever he went people would stop him and say, “Archie reminds me so much of my father!”  That may be true, but is it good?  As I recall, Archie Bunker may have been funny but I’m not sure his character was a model for effective fatherhood.

Below are some quotes from some famous people about fathers.  Which one do you like best?

Fatherhood is pretending the present you love most is soap-on-a-rope. (Bill Cosby)

A father carries pictures where his money used to be. (Author Unknown)

I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich. (M*A*S*H, Colonel Potter)

I cannot think of any need in childhood as strong as the need for a father's protection. (Sigmond Freud)

When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years. (Mark Twain)

And here is one of my favorites:

The most important thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. (Henry Ward Beecher)

Proverbs 10:1 says, “A wise son makes a father glad.”  I think the reverse is also true – A wise father makes a son glad.  The truth is that most of us have a lot of our father in us.  I will share in my blog post tomorrow some of the greatest loves of my life that I got from my dad.