This is one of my favorite ‘Southern Daddy’ photos- the man is not the daddy, he is the great uncle admiring his great niece! This child is dearly loved, has wonderful parents and all manner of loving kinfolk . The reason I love this photograph is- the man’s expression tickles me…the way he is holding the child makes me smile. There are  all kinds of Southern Daddies… fathers, uncles, grandfathers, stepfathers, adoptive fathers, and ‘friends who are the fathers we choose for ourselves’ – men who choose to step in when other men can’t or won’t.  On Father’s Day, it is important to recognize that everyone does not have a father- a birth father, who chose to be involved and be a good influence in the life of a child.

The man you see in the photo- presided over 1000’s of adoptions in his tenure as Judge of Probate. The old name was ‘The…