Subject: Husbands Showing Affection
From: "Fatherhood Foundation" <[email-masked]>
To: "Warwick Marsh" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 13:18:25 +1000

Issue No. 151-18th July,2005

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Welcome to fathersonline.org

Grandfathers

Laughter

Special Feature

Sexual Integrity Forum

Single Dads

Thought for the Week

News & Info

Dad's Prayer

Mission Statement & Help Us!

Welcome to fathersonline.org

Dear Warwick,

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Grandfathers

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Laughter

A sign was hanging in an office window. It read:

Help wanted.
Must type 70 words a minute.
Must be computer literate.
Must be bilingual.
An equal opportunity employer.

A dog was ambling down the street and saw the sign. He looked at it for a moment, pulled it down with his mouth, and walked into the manager's office, making it clear he wished to apply for the job.

The office manager laughed and said, 'I can't hire a dog for this job.'

The dog pointed to the line: 'An equal opportunity employer.'

So the manager said, 'OK, take this letter and type it.' The dog went off to the word processor and returned a minute later with the finished letter, perfectly formatted.

The manager said, 'Alright, here's a problem. Write a computer program for it and run it.'

Fifteen minutes later, the dog came back with the correct answer.

The manager still wasn't convinced. 'I still can't hire you for this position. You've got to be bilingual.'

The dog looked up at the manager and said, 'Meow.'

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Special Feature

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Sexual Integrity Forum

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Single Dads

A Day in the Life of DIDS

By Tony Miller

Marsh has been on my back once again. Where's the story, it's getting late, what's happening?

Well mate I had most of it written and then bang, we had a problem with the computers - while fixing the problem my story was deleted. And it was a good one.  True.  I am going to find out who the patron saint for computers is and offer up a pack of floppy disks for some help and guidance.

My story went something like this. I am absolutely flat out like a lizard drinking, preparing a submission for the Attorney General's department re the current family law reform. Writing a report for the Department of Family Services that needs to be completed yesterday. The phones keep ringing. The emails keep coming. I find I can knock over around 30-50 emails a day. Trouble is when you post one off, they reply, and you repeat the process and new ones follow old ones. The problem just intensifies. Amongst the mountain of desperate calls during the week my volunteers have taken 2 crucial suicide calls. Thankfully, they were able to intervene, and, in follow-up calls, we find we have been successful in at least saving those lives. It has just been chaotic and this is a relatively slow week.

I am one of those dads who has his little boy in the first half of the school holidays this year; it reverts to the second half next year.  We had a great time together.  He didn't want to go back when our time was up.  Not because he doesn't love his mum, because he does.  I know, because he has told me.  He just loves me and wants to be with me as much as possible just as he wants the same with his mum.  And you know, that's OK, that's as it should be.  I hate taking him back after we have had time together.  But I reassure him that it's OK and that he gets to spend the next fortnight with his mum and then we can have a weekend together.  We both value the time we have together.  I count the days until our weekend comes again. So does he.  I have heard it said often in our groups by dads who miss their kids that they come alive on Friday night when they pick them up, then die again on Monday when they take them back.  I understand how they feel.  It's not natural and it's not fair, on them or their kids.

Interruption!  Tom just walked in.  He is extremely distressed.  I have been dealing with him for over 3 years now.  He has been seeing his daughter for nearly 3 years in a child contact centre where he pays the organisation $60 for the privilege of seeing her for a lousy 2 hours every month.  He was crying, he is fed up.  'When do we get out of here?' he asked.  'She wants to be with me, I with her.  Three years Tony I have had enough, I think it's time I walked away.'  He is a pray-er and I advised among other things to keep praying.  The mobile rings, a dad in Victoria, desperate for news of his children.  'She is a heroin addict, shot through with the kids,' he says.  'I have orders but she continually breaches. I have no idea where they are, what do I do?' And on it goes.

So I am sorry, Marshy, but often I just need to drop things and deal with the situations at hand.  And when I find that things are getting a little tough, when it all seems insurmountable, I only have to glance over my computer and see the photos of my kids and realise why I am doing what I do.  Over the next few months the biggest reform in 30 years to Family Law will happen.  Maybe, just maybe, we will leave behind a better place for our kids.  Maybe, just maybe, dads will be given the opportunity to be dads again.

Tony Miller  dids

Dads in Distress

[email-masked]

www.dadsindistress.asn.au

PS I am still at the office, haven't completed the report/ submission or anything I planned. Try again tomorrow

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Thought for the Week

Happiness in marriage

comes when we take responsibility

for how we contribute to the problems

and then commit to work on ourselves.

Dr Joshua Coleman

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News & Info

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Dad's Prayer

Dear God

Help me hold hands

while walking down the street.

Help me hug the ones I love.

Help me offer a weekly massage

for my hardworking wife.

Help me to take her face in

my hands and tell her

how much I appreciate her

for all the things she does

in the home, out of the home,

for the children, for our friends,
for me, for us!

The list is just too long to name.

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Mission Statement & Help Us!

Mission Statement
The Fatherhood Foundation is a charitable, non profit incorporated association with a goal to inspire men to a greater level of excellence as fathers, by encouraging and educating them, thereby renewing and empowering families.

Click here for more information about us

Help Us!

The Fatherhood Foundation believes that the key to life is giving.  That's why this newsletter is given freely without expectation.  Life is also about relationships.  That's what being a good father is all about, developing relationships with your loved ones.

If you would like to give financially to the Fatherhood Foundation,

please mail your cheque or money order to:

Fatherhood Foundation

PO Box 440

WOLLONGONG  NSW  2520

AUSTRALIA

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