“I hope that they learn that anything is possible and that they have faith in God and themselves and that that alone can help them exceed any expectations,” he says. “I hope that they learn that love is always available and that they should always seek it. I hope they learn balance in working extremely hard and learning how to take time out to enjoy it.”
Hamilton ended up getting adopted at age 15, into a family with a mother and father who he describes as loving and nurturing. From there, he was able to heal and have that father figure be an example for him.
After not being present for much of his childhood, Hamilton says his adoptive parents more than filled the void of his biological father’s absence. More than a decade passed since Hamilton communicated with his dad – and while his mother encouraged him to reach out, he says he never felt the need to do so.
It wasn’t until he met and married his wife in 2005 that Hamilton was finally convinced to reconnect with his father.
“My wife wanted to meet my biological father,” he says. “She wanted to identify where I came from, so I called him.”
In discussing the importance of understanding his spouse, Hamilton acknowledges many of her personal attributes – and the qualities he believes she admires in him – that makes their marriage the strong pillar in their family.
“I admire her willingness to fight for me, she’s very forgiving, she’s about family, she’s loyal, she’s incredible,” he says. “She admires my willingness to be an individual my fight to keep my identity and not apologize for it. The way I love, my heart, the way I love people and my kids.”
Hamilton says becoming a husband was a key moment in his life – a moment that he wanted to share with his children to teach them some of the the power and responsibilities of manhood.
In the end, he just hopes he passes the test of fatherhood with approval.
“When I became a husband I feel like that was something necessary for them to see. I felt like I showed them how to be a man,” he says. “Hopefully, at the end of it all of they’ll say ‘you did good, dad. You did alright.’”
Anthony Hamilton: “Fatherhood Is A Blessing” was originally published on blackdoctor.org
