As Father’s Day approaches, I am reminded of how grateful I am for my husband. For the role in he plays in our family. How he truly embraces the role of dad to the fullest.
I’m not one to think a child needs a father in order to grow up to be happy, successful, and an overall good person. They simply need people in their lives that will love them, encourage them, and help them become good people. Whether it is family or not, hardly matters at the end of the day, as long as they’re there for them when they need it most. There are countless kids who have a mom and a dad, but don’t really have a mom or a dad for the love, support, and guidance they need. That’s why I don’t take my husband for granted (or I try my hardest not to).
He is without a doubt, a dad who puts his family first. He works long hours every day and he works hard at his job. He often brings things home with him to work on after our son goes to bed. But, that doesn’t stop him from playing with our son every free moment he gets. And play, he will. He takes on silly voices while playing trains, he dramatically reads stories before bedtime, he builds intricate towers of blocks for our kiddo to knock down. He gives endless piggy-back rides and plays games of chase, just to hear those little giggles thunder through our house. And those little giggles? They melt my heart. They remind me day in and day out why I chose my husband. Because he may be bone-tired at the end of the day, but he fights through it to make our kid happy. To make me happy, just to have some relief after chasing the kid all day.
It’s not as if my husband is a perfect parent. He screws things up. He forgets to pack things for the baby all the time. And I often yell at him for it. But, it’s not as if I’m not forgetful too. So, for the yelling, I’m sorry. I blame the lack of sleep. I know I’m not perfect either and I screw up all the time. Parenting is a tough job and it’s so easy to blame the other parent for things that go awry or for not doing things the exact same way as you. But, as we learn along the way, some things get easier. It gets easier to let things roll off your back. It gets easier to be a team, rather than fight about menial things. As long as we agree on the big things, that’s what counts. And all the big things, I know he backs me up on.
It’s not just playtime that my husband embraces. He takes on whatever task, without much complaint any time. Changing diapers, prepping dinner, handling bedtime. People often say, “why praise a dad for doing his job?” Why, indeed? Because too often there are dads who flat out refuse. Just as there are moms who flat out refuse. In my book, you should praise a mom AND a dad for doing the things expected of them and beyond. Not just the bare minimum, but truly embracing parenthood. Especially during the hard parts. Because there are so many days when it’s so hard and you feel like you’re failing, that it’s nice to be reminded you’re doing okay. As a parent, as a human, as a team. I know I don’t say it enough to my husband. I don’t remind him enough that I appreciate him. That I cherish the memories we are making together as a family. That I love how much he loves our son. It makes my love for him that much bigger and stronger.
So, to my husband, thank you for being you. For showing up, even on the hard days, as my teammate and equal in this journey of parenthood. I appreciate you and all you do. Thank you for making the giggles abundant in our household. For helping our son grow and learn. I worry every day about the person he will grow up to be. But, I know if he’s anything like his daddy, he’s going to turn out just fine.