Comments on: Fatherhood http://heliolith.com/archives/2005/07/24/fatherhood/ The easiest way to avoid wrong notes is to never open your mouth and sing. What a mistake that would be. - Pete Seeger Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:16:17 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.2 by: Saheli http://heliolith.com/archives/2005/07/24/fatherhood/#comment-2322 Wed, 27 Jul 2005 02:27:56 +0000 http://heliolith.com/archives/2005/07/24/fatherhood/#comment-2322 What a lovely essay, Michael. It seems to me that an ability to listen is a prime condition for separating a mere socially cloned <i>Paterfamilias</i> from a real dad. Dads are the rock of ages you can always depend on to do their best for you, and I'm too attached to mine-most-dependable to say there's anythign less than ideal about that. In the realm of fiction two Dads stand apart for me: Atticus Finch and Aral Vorkosigan, the latter much less famous than the former. (<a href="http://www.dendarii.com/" rel="nofollow">LM Bujold's Barrayar/Vorkosigan series books</a> are my favorite SF.) Outwardly they would both appear to be stereotypically Patriarchal--the one a lawyer and pillar of a dubious community, the other an Admiral in a feudal empire. But their dependability and dedication is so thoroughly grounded in humility and genuine to see their offspring fly, so to speak, that it makes all the difference in the world. Belated congratulations on your doubling of fatherhood! And to your wife on her doubling of motherhood. :-) What a lovely essay, Michael. It seems to me that an ability to listen is a prime condition for separating a mere socially cloned Paterfamilias from a real dad. Dads are the rock of ages you can always depend on to do their best for you, and I’m too attached to mine-most-dependable to say there’s anythign less than ideal about that. In the realm of fiction two Dads stand apart for me: Atticus Finch and Aral Vorkosigan, the latter much less famous than the former. (LM Bujold’s Barrayar/Vorkosigan series books are my favorite SF.) Outwardly they would both appear to be stereotypically Patriarchal–the one a lawyer and pillar of a dubious community, the other an Admiral in a feudal empire. But their dependability and dedication is so thoroughly grounded in humility and genuine to see their offspring fly, so to speak, that it makes all the difference in the world.

Belated congratulations on your doubling of fatherhood! And to your wife on her doubling of motherhood. :-)

]]> by: Saheli http://heliolith.com/archives/2005/07/24/fatherhood/#comment-2321 Wed, 27 Jul 2005 02:27:35 +0000 http://heliolith.com/archives/2005/07/24/fatherhood/#comment-2321 What a lovely essay, Michael. It seems to me that an ability to listen is a prime condition for separating a mere socially cloned <i>Paterfamilias</i> from a real dad. Dads are the rock of ages you can always depend on to do their best for you, and I'm too attached to mine-most-dependable to say there's anythign less than ideal about that. In the realm of fiction two Dads stand apart for me: Atticus Finch and Aral Vorkosigan, the latter much less famous than the former. (<a href="http://www.dendarii.com/" rel="nofollow">LM Bujold's Barrayar/Vorkosigan series books</a> are my favorite SF.) Outwardly they would both appear to be stereotypically Patriarchal--the one a lawyer and pillar of a dubious community, the other an Admiral in a feudal empire. But their dependability and dedication is so thoroughly grounded in humility and genuine to see their offspring fly, so to speak, that it makes all the difference in the world. Belated congratulations on your doubling of fatherhood! And to your wife on her doubling of motherhood. :-) What a lovely essay, Michael. It seems to me that an ability to listen is a prime condition for separating a mere socially cloned Paterfamilias from a real dad. Dads are the rock of ages you can always depend on to do their best for you, and I’m too attached to mine-most-dependable to say there’s anythign less than ideal about that. In the realm of fiction two Dads stand apart for me: Atticus Finch and Aral Vorkosigan, the latter much less famous than the former. (LM Bujold’s Barrayar/Vorkosigan series books are my favorite SF.) Outwardly they would both appear to be stereotypically Patriarchal–the one a lawyer and pillar of a dubious community, the other an Admiral in a feudal empire. But their dependability and dedication is so thoroughly grounded in humility and genuine to see their offspring fly, so to speak, that it makes all the difference in the world.

Belated congratulations on your doubling of fatherhood! And to your wife on her doubling of motherhood. :-)

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