Why do we need Mom and Dad?

I played basketball throughout high school and I played on a verity of different teams with different strengths and weaknesses. I also played a verity of roles on those teams. On some teams I was one of the go-to scorers, on others I played the role of a supporting big man, and my junior year I played the role of a bench sitter. I ended up enjoying fulfilling all of those roles, even though some might be looked at as less prestigious than others.

Even though I didn’t think I was going to like it, I found the role of bench sitter to be one of the roles I fulfilled the best. I was always pushing the starters in practice, helping them to work harder, and when those times came during games that I was put in, I was able to give every bit of energy I could to help the team.

I think this important lesson can be related to the roles of a mother and father in a family structure. The society of western countries has really tried to demean the importance of these roles, similar to how a bench player might be demeaned for his role on the team, yet, they are still vital, and it takes a certain degree of skill to fulfill the role. In a successful team, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and this is no different in a family team.

During class this week we talked about the specific roles of a father and mother, and I wanted to go over them a bit.

Traditionally, a father has been seen as a provider and protector. He works hard to support his family and helps shelter and protect them from the evils of the world. A male is biologically predisposed to be stronger physically which helps with both working and protecting, and males, in general, are able to focus greater on a single task which helps them to put aside other worries and get the help their family needs. Males are also more aggressive and competitive, which helped them historically in finding food and keeping their family alive and helps in modern life as they strive for competitive job positions.

A mother, on the other hand, has been traditionally noted as a nurturer. She is focused on helping and teaching the children and the family on pretty much everything. We often talk about how powerful a mother’s love is, and it is with this love that she is able to give so much care to her children. Females tend to have greater communication skills which helps them to keep the family together and understanding of one another. Females also tend to see things by their relationships to other things or a group. This can further help them in understanding the possible problems individuals are facing in a family setting.

These clear roles are very important yet are being degraded in much of modern society.

Of course, life doesn’t always work out ideally, and that is for the best. On many occasions, we will be called on to take on roles that our skills don’t seem to match up with perfectly. While we were talking about these roles, and the strengths men and women have associated with them, I thought of my own parents. My mom played college basketball and is very aggressive and focused. My dad studied family relations in college and is very focused on relationships and communication. While these attributes are often associated with the opposite roles, I feel it has really helped them to fulfill their roles better, and I am thankful for that. No matter our skills or challenges we can fulfill the roles put before if we persevere.