Who or what can replace a father in the family?

In a family, the husband is the head and the father. He has full responsibility over all members. He protects them and is a strong pillar for all members to lean on. He provides all benefits, both spiritual and materialistic, to the entire family. This is the basic and natural figure of a husband in the family.

However, what would it be like in a family where the husband doesn't take on the traditional roles? What if it is the wife who works and provides for the family? It could be because the husband has moved on to be with the Lord, or cause the couple are currently separated or divorced. This is the story of a wife who became the sole breadwinner of the family.

This family was hit with a sudden and heavy blow about ten years go when the husband was laid off from work. Although he had worked in the company for over 20 years, a sudden economic crisis forced it to shut shop, resulting in hundreds of loyal employees losing their job. Not just this family, but the national unemployment rate had risen to a staggering level, which was a matter of concern for the nation as a whole.

From that difficult moment on, the wife became the main breadwinner of the family. A high school teacher in a local public school, the loving and caring wife always supported her husband and family, and showered them with immense love, which was reciprocated by her husband and children. They strived to take care of her as well, and ensured that she'd always remain happy and healthy. From that moment onwards, their main aim was to ensure that the matriarch of the family feels loved, because she was sacrificing a lot for the betterment of her family. The woman too, was extremely proud and grateful to her family for the affection and love they showered her with.

Something a woman has to be given immense regard for is the fact that she is a mother. This lady, especially, would never say a word or perform a deed in a way that demeans her husband, either directly or indirectly. Despite being the sole breadwinner of the house, she ensured that her husband, the father, was always the head of the house, and had the final say in major familial decisions. The husband too, is aware of this, and strives to be a good husband and father to the family. This will probably go on until the Almighty God makes a rule dissolving all familial ties on this planet.

The real truth is that the existence of the husband as a fatherly figure and the head of the house cannot be replaced by anything in this world, be it material, worldly, or temporal gain.