Dear Dads,
Thank you. Being a dad is not easy. So many outside forces are attacking families and leaving you feeling distracted and inadequate. You wonder if you should be working more outside of the home so you can provide a “better” life for your family. You consider whether you should stop working overtime so you can see more of your daughter’s soccer games. Your every day is an attempt to fix broken things around you, though so often you wonder if you are choosing the right priorities. Thank you for waking up each day willing to do it all again.
Society has painted men and masculinity into a terrible picture. You constantly struggle to close the gap between who you are and who you want to be, endeavoring to ignore the stereotypes and the mixed messages of who you should be blasting from media outlets everywhere. Even then your efforts are often mistaken for bravado or weakness. Thank you for persevering.
Thank you.
Thank you for recognizing the fact that families are under attack. Thank you for putting your God and your family at the top of your priorities, even when forces all around you try so hard to convince you otherwise. Thank you for your fight to combat these forces day in and day out.
Your efforts matter. Your work is appreciated. Thank you for all that you do amid all of the challenges you face. Thank you for recognizing your intrinsic value without a need for fanfare or accolades. Your family needs you. The world needs you.
Thank you for ignoring the counterfeit depictions of men found in movies, TV shows, and memes. You are capable, strong, and necessary. Your value does not equate with your net worth or with how much you can bench press or with your social media following. Thank you for living that truth. Thank you for teaching those truths to your sons and daughters and nieces and nephews. You are making the world a better place each day that you wake up and continue to try.
Amid heartache and challenge, you remain strong. Thank you for that strength. Thank you for acknowledging your weakness and striving to improve. This Father’s Day–and every day–please know that we recognize the seemingly impossible job it is to be a father. We marvel at how you manage to do it anyway. For that we will be eternally grateful.
