Why It Is Important to Show Appreciation for Dads and Father Figures

My dad is still around. In fact, he lives just four minutes away. He can be a bit intrusive at times, a bit demanding, a bit bullheaded, and always intense. He hangs up when he realizes he has called too early in the morning, but by then, it’s too late because I’ve already been woken by the call. He often forgets that I have my own family, my own bills, my own problems, and my own needs that require my attention whenever he needs my help.

My dad is still around. He may not be the man he was when I was born, or the man who taught me to ride a bike at five. He may not be the man who watched me pierce my ears at thirteen, or the man who taught me to drive at fifteen and let me get my license at sixteen. He may not be the man who helped me find my first apartment at twenty, or the man who became a grandfather when I was twenty-one, twenty-three, twenty-six, and twenty-eight. He may not be the man who helped me rebuild our family home after it burned down in 2002, or the man who worried when I delivered a surrogacy at twenty-four weeks in 2006. He may not be the man who watched his four grandchildren be diagnosed with lifelong illnesses, or the man who saw us all lose a father and husband. But my dad is still around.

My kids’ dad is not. This was our twelfth Father’s Day without a card to buy, a dress shirt to wrap, or a breakfast to burn. I often take my father still being around for granted, while my children will never know what it is like to have life moments beyond those at fourteen, twelve, nine, and seven. Those moments are now fading further and further from their conscious thoughts. There will never be enough words to express the sadness I feel when I think of all my children have missed and will miss with their father. Like my dad, he may not have been perfect, but he was perfect for them.

Love your dad, appreciate your dad, and dads, love and appreciate your kids right back. Time is so short, and you could be gone the next time they pick up the phone to call you. I love you, Logan, Gavin, Jeremy, and Alexandretta. I hope you know how hard I try to love you enough for both your dad and myself. You are my heart ❤️💛💚💙 forever.