Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a father who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a man and a father. Above all, the Dad of the Month is dedicated to his children. Rich or poor, famous or not, he shines as an example of what fathering is all about.

Our choice for November is Luis Reynold Gonzalez, father of one and witness of the World Trade Center attack.

From the moment Alexys Gonzalez was born three months ago, her father, Luis Reynold Gonzalez, put his needs aside and made his small daughter the number one priority in his life. Softening with fatherhood, Gonzalez also began to show more commitment and love towards his spouse.

His wife, Yasmin, adores the added warmth in his personality. “He’s much more sensitive and comes home anxiously waiting to see our daughter instead of going out to play basketball or handball with his friends,” she says.

Yasmin understood his great capacity to love from the beginning of their relationship. That was only one of the reasons she knew he would make a fabulous parent. “I knew he would be a great father because of how much he loves kids,” she says.

September 11, 2001
Luis Gonzalez works for the State of New York maintaining the property along the Hudson River. When the World Trade Center was attacked more than half of the employees of Wall Street came charging down the streets near the River. Gonzalez and his coworkers immediately began directing traffic, performing first aide and calming the traumatized victims.

Later, knowing full well he was placing himself in danger, Gonzalez went with his associates to “ground zero” and started searching for survivors. Since that time he has spent many 20-hour days at the site hauling out wreckage and cleaning up the debris. “Being a father made my decision to work at the World Trade Center disaster very difficult. If anything would happen to me, I did not want to leave my little family behind to grieve,” he says. “On the other hand, so many other families were torn apart. I did whatever I could to help the loved ones of those helpless souls. May God be with them.”

Although Gonzalez witnessed the devastation in New York and has good reason to feel angry with the attackers, he has not stopped loving his fellow man. “The people of this world must realize what we could become if we could all learn to get along,” he says. He has also been reminded of the undeniable human bond and how essential we can be to each other. “After the World Trade Center was attacked I saw first hand how many came together with so much love.”

Learning From Disaster
More than anything this tragedy has strengthened his resolve to teach his daughter to love unconditionally. “I want to teach my own child that love can create and hatred only destroys,” Gonzalez says. “Children are so oblivious to this vast world and we can only try to shield them from the evil.” There is so much to cherish in this life that Gonzalez hopes we can all learn from this disaster and teach our children to set hatred aside and make this world a better place for all mankind, not just the residents of the United States.

Gonzalez’s advice to other fathers is simple but powerful: “Spend as much time with your children as you possibly can. You never know what tomorrow brings.”