Today is Father’s Day, the day we celebrate Dad’s, Grandfather’s, Godfathers, and all the men who have been role models in our lives.
I reached out to the Believe in Balance community and asked what Father means to them.
Here’s what they said,
Being a father is a symphony of contrast. Seeing her (my daughter) grow is as painful as it is joyous. My heart swells with pride and agony with every moment that she expands her independence and slowly blooms into who she will be for the rest of her life. It’s a bittersweet elephant that I’ll be eating for the rest of my life. I can’t help but draw parallels to what my mom must have felt as she watched me grow, and how she always used to tell me “when you have your own, you’ll understand” – I now understand. Not to be morbid or dark, but I’m constantly aware of my own fragility. I know tomorrow isn’t guaranteed, and as a friend once told me, “one day, you will put your kid down and never pick them up again.” And I think that impermanence sticks with me. So I try to stay balanced. I stay the rock she can hold on to, but also the pillow she can cry on. Russell Harris
Direction, advice, devotion acronym D.A.D… A Dad does all these for his children and even those that he takes under his guidance. Andres Gomez
I think to be a Dad you have to accept the role of the villain. I think I came to that conclusion with our boys (turning 10 and 12 this summer), especially after this spring. You have to be willing to be hated, viewed as the source of all their frustrations. In the end – what I keep going back to is that I have 2 really great souls at my charge – Heaven forbid I mess them up. Billy Ekofo
My kids are 14 and 12 and I’m still not adequately prepared to be a dad. I mean, I would die for them without hesitation…but it’s not often I have to lay my life on the line to get through the day. I always thought being a good dad meant coming through in the clutch but now it seems to be more about the million moments between the life and death stuff…Just being there. I drop them off and pick them up from school every day. I’m their biggest fan…I try to attend all their sporting events, and I get to most. We watch movies together and I try to show them a thing or two about a thing or two. Of course, it’s not all “World’s Greatest Dad” moments around here though…I lose my cool and I raise my voice and I fight stupid battles… but, I’ve also led by example and owned up to mistakes and helped teach them how important it is to say “I’m sorry” …and I try to make them laugh, I hug them every single day and tell them I love them often. I know I’m probably doing an ok job as a dad…but I still can’t help but feel like I’m screwing them up somehow. I’m forever hopeful that our million little moments are enough to prepare them to live their own lives. Fingers crossed! Aldo Masciave
Being a dad is the easiest and the hardest thing I have ever done. It is a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. As a dad, I celebrate my child’s accomplishments, I provide encouragement during the challenging moments and a soft shoulder when they need one. A dad needs to be selfless and put their child’s needs first. A dad needs to be forgiving and understanding of oneself and of their child. A dad needs to find the balance between guidance and a dictatorship. We are responsible to nurture and protect our children and somehow not smother them. We learn to dance through the minefield of parenthood, we learn how to laugh more, and raise our voices less. Being a dad (hopefully a good one) has been one of the most rewarding parts of my life. Happy father’s day dads, enjoy! Matt Zenni
Being a dad has been the most unexpected fulfilling gift I could imagine. No doubt, a ‘poster dad’ for failing forward, I strive to be everything I wanted in a father when I was a child (my dad is a pretty darn great one!). Ultimately, just being there…for them…for any reason at any time while working in concert with their amazing mother throughout this ever-changing, crazy trip throughout parenthood! Bill Butler
What does Father mean to you?
Photo by Cristian Dina from Pexels
Comments