I'm Blessed to Come From a Family of Hard-Working Men

I’m going to be celebrating Father’s Day all week, because I am blessed to come from a family of strong men. Both of my grandfathers worked hard. Preston was my Mom’s Dad and he toiled long hours in the packing houses of Omaha, Nebraska. It was one of those good jobs in the 30’s that attracted Black Americans to move north to make a living. He raised a family of three daughters and made sure they each had a life better than his.

Victor was my Grandpa on my Father’s side. “Papa Vic” as we called him, worked on the railroad as a Pullman Porter and saved his money like it was precious gold. The first chance he got, he started his own business, “Metoyer’s BBQ”, which was an institution in Omaha for 35 years. He also raised three children and gave them a strong foundation for success.

My Dad, Ray Metoyer Sr. didn’t know anything else but work and he loved it. My Dad had a full time job as a head counselor at Boys Town, where he worked with young men who didn’t have families to raise them. But he also worked full time at the family BBQ place, helping his Dad run the business.  Monday through Friday, he’d get up at 7am and go to Boys Town to put in 10 hours. After that he’d come home and take a nap, and then go work at the BBQ until 3am. On weekends, he’d just work at the BBQ, when he wasn’t mowing the lawn, landscaping and planting flowers because he had a green thumb.

In his “spare” time, Dad was also very active in the Democratic Party and helped to work on several local political campaigns with my Mom. They were active in the local branch of the NAACP and marched in the demonstrations for Civil Rights. He also found the time to serve as President of the Omaha Urban League for several years. He did all of this while being an incredible father, and raising a family of four with great pride and a big smile. He was always there when we needed him and we always felt safe and secure no matter what happened. There was always food in the fridge, and the lights and the heat were always on. He somehow kept that smile, even after our Mom lost her battle with cancer at the young age of 43.

We lost our Dad just a few months after he turned 51. But his powerful example of giving, working and being of service, lives within my family today. I owe everything I am to both of my loving parents. But I can’t imagine what my life would have been like without my father in it, along with the other strong men in my life.

That is why President Obama’s comments about fathers getting involved deserve our praise and  support and the church needs to loudly say AMEN. It’s time for all men to step up and give our children the strength, kindness, and love that they desperately need to survive. It’s truly a matter of LIFE!