It is a father's natural responsibility to affirm and approve of his son. It doesn't matter whether you intended to be a father or not. It doesn't matter how absent your father was. Too many men apparently don't want to know that they have the power of assigning value and worth to a child. It's not a sexist statement. Fathers and mothers impart different things to their children.
I am saddened when I hear about Prince Fielder, a consideration for Major League Baseball's NL MVP award, say that he doesn't care about awards except insofar as his father (Cecil Fielder) never won one and to do what his father hasn't done is to finally shut him up.
What happened here, Cecil? I'm hearing on the radio that you made asinine statements about your own son to the public. What the hell is the matter with you? He's YOUR SON.
Prince has 50 home runs, but doesn't care about any of it until he supercedes his father with number 52. The comments I heard on ESPN radio yesterday indicate that Cecil Fielder (the father) once commented publicly that the main reason his son Prince received so much attention as a newcomer to the league was because of the family name.
There's also the whole divorce and family issues. Apparently, Cecil dropped his wife and his son Prince like a hot potato earlier in his career. Prince is on the cusp of accomplishing things his father never did, and his wounds are starting to show through.
I don't want to see anyone writing about how Prince needs to stop complaining about the old man. Give him a break. It's hard enough to grow up and mature WITH a functional family. Without one, there are always emotional casualties. Cecil wasn't around to father. He's said things that demean his son's abilities in front of the national media. In essence, he has not affirmed his son. I applaud Prince's drive to overcome the insults heaved toward him. He's attempting to be the overcomer.
Once he's accomplished what his father could not, Prince Fielder will stand on his own two feet as an accomplished athlete. No one will talk to him like he's in his deadbeat dad's shadow. Forgive me for judging, because we're all imperfect and wonderfully flawed. But give this guy a break. He should be applauded by his father. Cecil Fielder should be going on the record saying how much he hopes and expects his son to surpass his own accomplishments. That's what a father's heart does. It longs for more for the son that the father himself could have.
I'm looking for prominent men in all walks of life who truly father their children. I want to applaud them for raising up a generation of sons who will know their value and will believe in themselves and stand firmly for what they believe in. In the meantime, we must call a spade a spade and not condone poor fathering on the grounds of stardom.