Being a Father: Breaking the Cycle and Choosing a Better Path

Being a father is wonderful. Watching my daughter, Cecília, grow in peace and good health is one of the greatest blessings of my life.

Sometimes, however, circumstances mean that I have to be a little more distant. My wife and I work, and during that time Cecília stays with her great-grandparents. It is a long story, but even when I am physically away, my heart is always with her.

We are currently taking a church course called “Parents for Life.” The course teaches us how to raise our children according to the right principles and guide them on God’s path. For me, there is only one true path worth following.

Today, we shared what we were like as children and what kind of parents we are becoming.

My own past is dark. I was not a good son. I used illicit substances and abused alcohol. It is no coincidence that I still have some difficulty communicating today, although I have improved tremendously over the years.

During the course, we hear stories and testimonies that are deeply moving.

Today, a young man shared that his father died when he was only 15 years old. His father had been a wonderful dad, and as he told his story, he began to cry. I cried quietly alongside him. His story touched something deep inside me.

There was also the story of a woman whose mother did not accept her decision to attend church, and eventually they stopped speaking to each other. In the middle of the course, another man asked us to pray specifically for her.

But I am getting away from the subject that matters most to me: Cecília, my daughter.

I am sharing all of this because this is the pure reality of being a father.

Being a father means recognizing that I am not perfect. It means looking at my past, admitting my mistakes, and choosing to do something different with the future.

That is why I am taking this course.

I don't want Cecília to carry traumas that were never hers to carry simply because they were passed down to me.

I want to break that cycle.

I want to learn how to be the father she deserves.

And perhaps one of the greatest responsibilities of being a father is exactly that: admitting that we are flawed and having the courage to learn how to become better, so our children don't have to suffer because of the things we once suffered through.

For Cecília, I want to be better.

For Cecília, I want to choose the right path.

And for Cecília, I want to be a father for life.