I like lighthouses! The pictures that you will see through this article are a few that I have taken through the years. Recently I have been thinking of lighthouses in relation to fatherhood. Lighthouses have played and still play an important part in nautical safety as many are still in working order doing the job that they were made to do – safeguard vessels from a watery grave. (If you are interested in learning more than you ever wanted about lighthouses go over to Wikipedia and read about the interesting history and technology that makes lighthouses tick!)
No I am not trying to be morbid, far from it. Yet, what I am getting it is the fact that Lighthouses have played the role that many of us Dad’s have as well, providing a strong outside exterior to safeguard the waters for ship going vessels. How does this relate - I see fathers as holding a similar exterior, sheltering our kids from the rocks (the dangers in life) and a beacon or a stable beam for our kids to reach out to. Now, this is not to say that our kids will always want to reach out to us, but as fathers we do our best to keep them safe from harm. This doesn’t mean that we will be able to keep them from any harm – as we all have had the experience where bumps, bruises, broken arms, etc. definitely are a part of life and will ultimately occur as kids are being kids. 
Though saying this we (as the lighthouses before) remain solid and strong. We send out our warnings and reach out when needed. Maybe I am being a bit metaphorical, but I think that it is definitely a metaphor that I can relate to as a father.
How about you? What do you think of this? What other types of visual images of fatherhood mean something to you or stand out to you? What about you moms out there? I would surmise that the lighthouse could also be used to portray many moms out there as well. Are there other images that also reflect you as a mother?What types of Manly things consume your life? Consider joining me on Mondays to celebrate the Manly things that either we do or think about!
3 comments:
A tree... A large old oak tree.
Kids can play with the tree, hide under the shelter of it's canopy, etc...
A wise old tree that we as adults have often said "if that tree could only talk"...
Great Post DOD!
Nice post Chris. I really like lighthouses too, and I think you made a great analogy. A few that come to mind to me are a compass, foundation and pillar.
Our church uses lighthouses as an analogy for a good many things - Christ, mother, fathers, being a good example in general. It is an excellent analogy.
I liked your paragraph here:
"I see fathers as holding a similar exterior, sheltering our kids from the rocks (the dangers in life) and a beacon or a stable beam for our kids to reach out to."
I wish all fathers and mothers felt that same responsibility.
Siilar analogies might be - a rock, a corner stone, a buildings foundation, etc.
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