What is a Dad? No Pain, No Gain
What is a Dad? The poem below says it all:
A dad is someone who
wants to catch you before you fall
but instead picks you up,
brushes you off,
and lets you try again.A dad is someone who
wants to keep you from making mistakes
but instead lets you find your own way,
even though his heart breaks in silence
when you get hurt.A dad is someone who
holds you when you cry,
scolds you when you break the rules,
shines with pride when you succeed,
and has faith in you even when you fail.~ by Susan Ceylise ~
This poem is the best articulation of the inherent tension of being a dad that I have ever read.
You love your children, but sometimes you must allow them to make their own mistakes, which inevitably means they will hurt themselves in the process. Our children’s pain hurts us as well, but this pain is a necessary part of being a father.
I remember when my youngest son rode a bike for the first time. The truth is, he started off on training wheels, which made it so much easier — thank God for training wheels.
The guy behind the below video, Dude Dad, does not agree with me, but I still hold to my case. There is more than one way to skin a cat.
The big day came when I had to take the training wheels off, put my hand on the seat of his bike and run behind him until he gathered speed to get mobile on his own. I tried to pick a patch with some grass, as opposed to concrete, but inevitably even falling on hard packed grass can hurt.
From memory there were a few tears, but he got the hang of it until he no longer fell off his bike. I guess we have to look on the bright side, because my dad wasn’t really around to teach me properly how to ride a bike, and there weren’t any training wheels back then either.
So for me as a boy, there were lots of bruises and grazes to heal, and a lot more pain per square inch than my son suffered. I guess that’s why it is so important for dads to be there for their children at such crucial times. ‘No pain, no gain’ is the old sport’s saying that well applies.
Growing up involves pain for both a father and his child, but I guess the main goal is to minimise the pain and maximise the gain for both fathers and their children. But let me let you in on a secret. This cycle continues as your children grow older, and the problems become more complex and so does the pain.
The last part of the poem deals again with the tension that true love must endure. True love comforts our children in their disappointments, but disciplines them in their rebellion. True love is proud of our children when they succeed, but still believes in them when they fail.
Lovework
Read this poem again and be inspired, encouraged and challenged because that’s what being a dad is all about. Yes, the video is helpful too!
Yours for being a Dad,
Warwick Marsh
Recent Articles:
15 July 2026
4.2 MINS
Multi-platinum rock band Skillet has achieved major mainstream success while openly maintaining a committed Christian faith, resisting industry pressure to downplay their evangelical beliefs. Lead singer John Cooper, known for his vocal faith, has testified to the power of the gospel, which the band brings to a global audience through their music.
15 July 2026
4.6 MINS
Despite the medical pendulum swinging against it, a mainline American denomination has thrown its full support behind the crumbling facade of transgender medicine. The Presbyterian Church (USA) voted overwhelmingly to declare support for access 'transgender medical procedures'.
14 July 2026
3.9 MINS
The Greens are pushing an "anti-conversion practices" bill that goes further than anything we've seen in other states — and it should alarm every Australian Christian, parent, and, actually, everyone — not just Tasmanians. Please pray for Tasmania.
14 July 2026
7.3 MINS
Nation First looks into how the ABC and UN aid industry are exploiting child marriage to push a climate agenda, attract more taxpayer funding and shield the adults and customs responsible for child brides.
13 July 2026
3.3 MINS
Pastor Ezra Jin’s unexpected release from a Chinese prison reunites his family after years apart and renews hope for persecuted Christians still imprisoned under the CCP.
13 July 2026
3.9 MINS
When a woman who'd written a bestseller for women called to ask for help reaching men, my first instinct was caution. But Dawn Williams is offering men something powerful, and her upcoming book, "The Rebuilt Man", will help men rediscover the man they were created to be.
10 July 2026
4.8 MINS
A new OECD report shows that Australians have suffered one of the developed world’s sharpest declines in living standards since Covid. The signs are everywhere: whether bracket creep or business confidence collapse, here are 10 hard data points that expose the gap between Labor’s spin and Australians’ everyday experience.
