Many fathers worry about how to be a good one once their child arrives. But for American minister and author Max Lucado, the most important part of fatherhood is simply being there. As he says, "My father didn’t do anything unusual. He only did what dads are supposed to do—be there.” 

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Hearing a father say he's proud of you is perhaps one of the greatest joys a child can know. But for a father, simply knowing their child and seeing where life takes them is what brings them the most fulfilment. Journalist Mike Sager said it best when he said, "The reward of child-rearing is spending the rest of your life proudly knowing this person you helped guide.” 

The National Fatherhood Initiative is a non-government organisation based in the United States that provides communities with resources (from research to father-engagement planning activities) for fathers to feel better equipped to raise their children. The group's former president, Roland Warren, explains the role of a paternal figure simply and straightforwardly, saying, "Good fathers do three things: they provide, they nurture, and they guide.” 

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Sometimes, fathers and their children may not come from the same biological family. There are men who step up—friends, relatives, adoptive families—who take care of children who need them the most. As Johann Christoph Friedrich von Schiller, German poet and playwright attests, “It is not flesh and blood but the heart which makes us fathers and sons.” 

One of the most prolific action stars we know is Denzel Washington. Although he often portrays the tough guy in movies, he also has much to say about what strength truly is. "The strongest, toughest men all have compassion. They're not heartless and cold. You have to be man enough to have compassion—to care about people and about your children," he was quoted as saying. 

Baseball may not be a big sport in the Philippines, but professional athlete Harmon Killebrew is incredibly relatable when he reminisces on his father's perspective on life. "My father used to play with my brother and me in the yard," the athlete said. "Mother would come out and say, 'You're tearing up the grass.' 'We're not raising grass,' Dad would reply. 'We're raising boys.'"

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