Father’s Day is today, and it’s an important time to reflect on and give thanks for the many gifts our fathers have given us throughout the years.

Whether you inherited your father’s eyes, his strong nose, his curly hair or crooked toes, each person owes a little bit of who they are to their father. Perhaps you didn’t inherit anything appearance-wise, and instead can thank your father for giving you his laugh, his dry sense of humor or his dance moves.

Hopefully, you can thank your father for his guidance through the years, or the Godly example he set for you and others. Or perhaps, you can thank your father for showing you ways you can be a better parent than he was.

Hopefully, you have a father — or father figure — you can call today and of whom you can be proud. 

Society often attacks the notion of a nuclear family, but the presence of a strong male figure in a child’s life is an invaluable thing. 

Our fathers are often the person we count on to teach us truths in life. Traditionally, they are the head of the household, the gatekeepers who keep their families safe and secure. Being a father isn’t easy, but the men who choose to raise their children — or someone else’s — deserve all the applause each and every day.

Children with active fathers are twice as likely to finish high school and find decent employment, according to the University of Texas Child and Family Research Partnership. They are 80 percent less likely to spend time in jail.

However, far too many children are missing a father figure from their lives. A challenge must be issued to the men of Warren County and beyond: Is there a child for which you can set a positive example? Do your children have friends who don’t have a father? What can you do to be a light to a young person in need?

This Father’s Day, call your father or father figure and tell him you love him. Tell him you’re thankful for him. Let your words mean more than any material gift.

Fathers: Use this Father’s Day to reflect on the example you’re setting and find a way to continue guiding others.