Fathers: A Life-Long Influence

For operative masons, building in stone requires great and skillful labor. The material must first be separated into managable blocks, transported to the work site, then carefully shaped and polished until it is ready for use. It requires the application of working tools, constantly referring to the master plan while using other stones to gauge their measurements and finishes, making adjustments as needed.

As Speculative Masons, we are each brought up from the quarries as a rough-hewn stone, striving to shape and polish ourselves that we may one day be of suitable use to the Great Architect. We work to follow his plans best we can, limited only by our skills and the material itself.

As men, our task in life is not always an easy one. We must overcome our base nature by the strength of our hearts and minds, we can only work to the Master Plan as far as it has been revealed to us, and only as we can best understand it. We constantly check to see if we "measure up," comparing ourselves to our fellow men- our friends, associates, and mentors. For many of us, our fathers fit into one or more of those categories. We look up to our fathers as children, even as we enter adulthood and have children of our own. We look to our fathers as friends, sharing activities and discussing life's issues big and small. We look to our fathers as a source of strength, support and guidance. Our fathers are often the most important man in our lives, though we sadly ever realize it, or hesitate to admit it when we do. And we never do quite realize just how much they affect our lives.

When a man loses his father, it changes him. He no longer has that stone, that point of reference to measure himself against. He is left to continue his work on his own. Sometimes he does so haphazardly, other times with renewed strength and determination. Often, for a while after our father's passing, it is a combination of both. Yet we recall that stone, reflect upon it in our hearts while it reflects upon us in our lives, and the Wisdon, Strength and Beauty of it will continue to influence our own Work for the rest of time.

Recently, a friend and Brother lost his father. We are part of another brotherhood now, I having lost mine several years ago, a brotherhood where men continue the work of our lives, forever the sons of the men they still call Dad. Father, friend, mentor, the lessons continue, and we have yet to discover what we have learned and will yet still.

To our fathers everywhere, here and beyond, Thanks, Dad.