First, I want to say Happy Father’s Day. No matter how many years you have been a father, it never gets easier. Second, thank you for being there to raise and encourage the children in your lives.
There are not enough words to describe how thankful I am for all the wisdom the father figures in my life have shared. All the lessons you have taught your children or grandchildren throughout the years have meant different things at different stages of life.
Father Figures in My Life
I will always be thankful to the wisdom that my grandfather shared. He didn’t care that I was a girl who didn’t know much about fixing things, but he did care if I could hold the ladder while he worked on the roof before grandma caught him. He always taught me that it didn’t matter what you did or what you choose in life to do but to always have pride in yourself. Those nuggets of wisdom are what I carry with me and have passed on to my children.
My father, for being a person I could count on no matter the issue. From fixing the light on my porch, to holding me while I cried on his shoulder the day of my wedding. My father was a marine, and the lessons I have learned from him have always been about resilience — never to let anything stop me from doing what I want in life, but just to keep trying. He instilled that in me at a young age, and that is what helps me on those days when everything seems too overwhelming.
My husband, who became a father at the young age of 17. The moment he held our daughter, cradling her in his hands, the tears rolling from his face, is a moment I will never forget. He is always there to be the disciplinarian, but also the one to check on them after I’ve already tucked them in for the night. The man who will do whatever it takes to make his children smile. The man who still holds each of our children as if they were newborns despite how big they have grown. A man who insists on “dabbing” just to get the eye-roll and groans of embarrassment from his children. Thank you for teaching them to get up after they have fallen, that it may be a set back, but not to stop pursing their goals.
All the Dads Out There
Know this, all you dads out there: We appreciate all you do. Being a father matters so much. You are there to nurture and provide positive reinforcement. Now as a father you have a better understanding of your own father. Though we may not say it, we are thankful for the silent talks, the hugs and the “nods” of understanding. The extra cash for gas, to make sure we get home safely, the text messages with funny emojis.
Thank you for loving us for everything we fail to see. Thank you for being proud of us for just being us. Knowing we have a strong father support system is the greatest feeling in the world. Though it may seem hard to look your kids in the eye and tell them you love them — because it may not be the “manly” thing to do — choose to do it, anyway. Choose to embarrass us just to see us laugh. Wear the sandals with socks, wear the t-shirts no one wears anymore. Blast the music in the car from when you were growing up, start that singalong! Just be the best dad you know you were destined to be. Thank you for being you.
