This year marks a pretty big change in my life. My son started Kindergarten this fall, and the way my wife’s and my work schedules look, I’m the one in charge of doing drop-offs. So every day, I’m tasked with getting both boys ready in the morning, and then seeing my big guy off to school. It’s a different, but very life fulfilling activity for me. I love being the one to see him off, and every day I leave him with the same 3 words.
“Be awesome today.”
But in these last 2 months of school drop-offs, there’s another thing I love seeing….
Other dads like me doing the same thing.
Really, I just like seeing other dads partake in their children’s lives in general. See, I grew up without a father myself. Call me an “oops baby” if you will. I suppose it wasn’t that weird not having a father present in my life, as the generation before me is the generation with the highest percentage of absent fathers. Additionally, no generation before now has ever held an emphasis on present fathers. A dad’s duty was to go to work and be the breadwinner, while the mother stayed home and took care of the children. Any dad that had time to take their kid fishing, or throw the ball around the backyard was considered above and beyond back then.
But going through that life, I vowed I’d never let another kid go through that. So I’m as present as possible in every aspect of my children’s lives, even if that means doing some things that my body hates me for. (Trampoline Parks+Bad Knees=Ouch)
So I love seeing other dads like me out there handling business. Dropping the kids off at school. Some last minute hugs and kisses, and maybe a final nugget of wisdom before sending them off for their day.
If you’re a dad out there taking your kids to school, taking them shopping, or having any other kind of one on one time with your kids, know this…
I see you, and I appreciate you.
Keep up the good work, my brothers.
