Filling in His Shoes- What Happens When Your Dad is Gone and You Step in His Place?

When you were a boy, it seemed like your father knew it all, and would always be there to see that life went along as it should. But there comes a time in every man's life when his father is no longer there, and he must fill the void.

Maintaining the household

There are just some things that dad used to do around the house, things that need to be done now, too. These include maintaining the yard, changing the oil in the cars and basic household repairs. If you're not the handy type, now is a good time to learn how to be handy. All these things are up to you now.

Your mom needs a little more from you now than simply raking the leaves. Food, utilities, none of that is free. It may now be up to you to help out financially now that dad is gone.

A few years ago, my best friend of 30 years lost his stepfather unexpectedly, and he had just gotten full custody of his 2-year-old son. His stepfather made great money during his lifetime but never got very much life insurance. My friend's mother was left with a tremendous amount of bills and debt after his passing. She hadn't worked since the 1950s.

My friend had just gotten a job at a large printing company. He stepped right up. He opened a joint checking account for him and his mother and he moved next door to her. He took care of the yard, the leaky roof and all the other things that his stepfather used to take care of. My friend had a little boy, too. The female role model for that child was not his mother but his grandmother. One time a few years ago, my friend was having problems with his Jeep Cherokee. While it was in the shop, he bought a small car for himself. When the Jeep was fixed, he gave it to his mother. This situation is a prime example of a young man stepping up and taking care of the things that needed to be done.

Whether you're a teen or an adult who has recently lost his father, it's a difficult time financially and emotionally. However, by doing the right thing and taking care of the things that need to be done, you will become a better man for it.