Courageous Joy

Something that's made me go "hmmm".....if good vinegar has the "mother" still in it.....is their any food with a "father" in it? Are they saying that the mother comes first? As in "which comes first the mother or the father"? And are you supposed to shake the vinegar and mix the "mother" up before you use it or leave it undisturbed looking funky at the bottom of your vinegar jug????