FATHERS, WHERE ART THOU?: WILLIAM WESTON

As I look around, our society is forever changing but in one aspect the fact still remains: "Where is Daddy?" In many households there are many idiosyncrasies of missing fathers.

This situation has caused a gaping hole in the family structure as women are forced to become mothers and fathers to children who are struggling knowing that Daddy isn't here or to raise the scale. Who is Daddy, anyway?

It's a shame, but for some, Fatherhood isn't taken seriously enough as it only is a title. Although is it a deserved entitlement? Children are thrusted into life with the added growing pain of being alone and perplexed as it's hard enough at times just being a child without the added complexity of feeling abandoned or even at fault.

Fathers have to stop placing blame where it doesn't fall and look at themselves before even trying to analyze and dissect their disappearing acts and misinterpretation of actual fatherhood. Who am I to place blame myself as I had fallen into the delusion that it wasn't me but the circumstances and the people surrounding me. No! Not me!! This feeling is a temporary fix with the euphoric after effect of knowing that something isn't right and asking yourself: "Why have I made this decision to leave loved ones behind no matter the consequences?" Wake Up! But for some this dream is a reality.

Our children deserve to be embraced by their mothers and fathers emotionally, spiritually,mentally and physically. But for some this is very hard to do because it wasn't done in their household or social environment. Thus, the more reason to express these attributes. I'm guilty as well, because at times I find it difficult which is puzzling especially since my wife and soulmate exudes all of the aforementioned without hesitation while I stand in the background waiting for acceptance in other frivolous areas which does not really emit the warmth of Fatherhood. At times I wonder if I'm afraid, envious, or stuck in a time warp -- a time when men didn't show too much emotion or any emotional connections. I want to, so I ask myself continually what's holding me back? Times have changed, we need to as Fathers as well.

This is a dilemma that we as men must take by the bootstraps as our childern need us to be there by not just standing around but by being around standing for what Fatherhood truly means: Forever, Always, There, Helping, Encouraging, Remembering.

Fatherhood is only as hard as we make it, but for some of us who are short-changing our children as their questions will fill a lifetme of desolate pain if we don't come to the forefront and change for the betterment of our children and familes. Yes! We Can! or No! We Can't! which will you choose?

As I close, the worst feeling of being a Father is not being there or being there and not really being committed as we can't turn back the hands of time or even walk in our children's shoes. Time waits for no one, but we can make the time to rebuild our relationships by walking together for a lifetime, knowing and conveying the real meaning and sense of Fatherhood.

Encouraging and Remembering.

INTERNATIONAL MEN'S HEALTH WEEK OBSERVED 15-21 JUNE 2009

VIENNA, AUSTRIA --13 JUNE 2009 -- International Men’s Health Week (http://www.ismh.org) will be observed throughout our global village from 15 June 2009 through 21 June 2009. International Men's Health Week was created in 2002 by representatives from six leading men's health organizations around the world who met at the Second World Congress on Men's Health in Vienna, Austria. The goal of International Men's Health Week is to create global awareness of male health issues and promote international and intranational institutions to develop health policies and services that effectively address the unique health issues of Men throughout our global village.


During International Men's Health Week from 15-21 June 2009, Men and those who love and care for them, male health organizations, Fatherhood Practitioners, Fathers’ Rights Advocates, male parenting organizations, social entrepreneurs, and members of the business, medical and scientific communities, and community grassroots organizations throughout our global village will conduct and participate in men’s health events that include, but are not limited to, free medical screenings, men’s health educational events – seminars and conferences, and media events. In past years during International Men’s Health Week, a Urological Cancer Organization Forum was conducted in Australia; hospitals offered free health screenings and restaurants offered healthy food selections in Austria; in Canada, The Men’s Health Society Of British Columbia organized a picnic event, an open house, and an athletic event; in Denmark, a Symposium on Men’s Health was conducted; in England, Scotland, and Wales, a coalition of organizations orchestrated a series of events which raised awareness for men’s health issues; and in the United States, work place health screenings, lectures by athletes, and public awareness campaigns have been conducted.



The alarmingly rising incidence of prostate cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, heart disease and strokes among men throughout our global village has created the need for an International Men’s Health Week. What will International Men’s Health Week accomplish? It will increase awareness of the unique health issues of Men throughout our global village and encourage international and intranational institutions to provide men with greater access to resources and support services that address their unique health issues, increase research and research funding for prostate cancer, colon cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s Disease, and heart disease, and develop and make available with all deliberate speed effective remedies for the unique health issues that confront millions of men throughout our global village. And particularly, in the United States, International Men's Health Week will call attention to the need for the creation and enactment of the Men's Health Act of 2009 which will lead to the establishment of an Office of Men's Health within the United States Department of Health and Human Services which would be an effective advocate for Men's health issues in the same manner that the establishment in 1991 of an Office of Women's Health in the United States Department of Human and Health Services has effectively advocated women's health issues.



So, who participates in International Men’s Health Week activities? The Men’s Health Forum in England and Wales, Men’s Health Society of British Columbia in British Columbia, the San Maarten Public Health Department in The Netherlands Antilles, the Men’s Health Information and Resource Centre in Australia, and the Men’s Health Network in the United States.



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