My paternal grandmother was a member of the Salish Flathead tribe; in 1986, she was honored as the "Bravest Woman in Montana". She bore 14 children, 10 boys and 4 girls. Six boys served in uniform during WWII, a seventh was too young, but he joined after the war. My dad had bad feet, and could not pass the physical. He was a carpenter and volunteer fireman in a small town north of Seattle, Washington. He was killed in a hunting accident on Whidbey Island when I was a HS sophomore. One of the things he told me was about an old Indian chief who was teaching his grandson about important things in life:

The chief said, "There is a battle." "Grandfather? What kind of battle do you face?" "There are two wolves living inside me and they are in a raging battle."  "Right now?" the boy asked. "Yes, right now. In fact, the wolves never seem to stop their warfare." The old man sat back, looking far into the distance. "What are they fighting over, Grandfather?" the boy asked. "My life", the old man replied. "I don't understand," said the boy, turning toward the old man. "Who are the two wolves?" The wise old man continued. "One wolf is obedient, unselfish and humble; he does what is good to do. The other wolf is rebellious and full of pride and seeks his own glory and gain. These two wolves are fighting all the time, and my soul is their battleground." The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf will win?" The old chief simply replied, "The one you feed."

So, you might want to ask me how I know.  Because, my father told me so.

This anonymous poem pretty much says it all:

What Makes a Dad?

God took the strength of a mountain,
The majesty of a tree,
The warmth of a summer sun,
The calm of a quiet sea,
The generous soul of nature,
The comforting arm of night,
The wisdom of the ages,
The power of the eagle's flight,
The joy of a morning in spring,
The faith of a mustard seed,
The patience of eternity,
The depth of a family need,
Then God combined these qualities,
When there was nothing more to add,
He knew His masterpiece was complete,
And so, He called it ... Dad

We must always remember that: Any man can be a father, but it takes a special person to be called Dad.

Chuck