DIfference between "father" and male parent aka sperm donor

I guess I grew up with a not so wonderful view of fathers because of my father so I've decided to split them into two categories... father and male parent aka sperm donor. Obviously any male (for the most part) that is of age can have a child but that doesn't really say much. My male parent was absent because he decided he just wasn't ready for a family when I was about three. That's fine I think I'm better off without him but it would have been nice if he realized this earlier but then again I enjoy living. I was thinking about that picture that was shown in class today and I really think I can picture my father holding me like that. I think I have one picture of us actually being in physical contact. For a while I thought many men were like this, they just left when they felt like it and the mothers were left to take care of the child(ren). Thankfully this is not so. Of course, I still hear about guys like this but that's their business.

Currently I'm dating a guy with two children and one of the reasons I started dating him was because he stuck around when the kids mother ran off. I kind of thought that most women that had children had an innate desire to be with their children. Oh I was wrong, I'm usually not one to judge and really to each his own but I KNOW the kids are better off with him. I know what he went through to keep them when she was off in jail or out partying and I know what they've been exposed to because of her. It really blows my mind how well adjusted they are. I've been with him for a couple years now so I guess I have a pretty decent idea of what their daily life is like and I really think they couldn't be happier. He was just 19 when he had his son and maybe that's not the brightest idea but he took care of his own. I thought "men" in the US would just kind of run off like my father did but he really proved me wrong. I bet there wasn't any awkwardness when he held his children (nothing like the guy in picture from class). That's a father, that's definitely NOT just a sperm donor. He said I can tell his daughter about birth control... I'm definitely not excited. She's turning 8 this month so I think I have some time.

A couple of my friends have had their mothers leave and they stayed with their fathers. When I was younger I honestly believed that men were the ones to leave. I guess it's nice to see that I was wrong.

to be continued..