What It Really Means to Be a Father

Fatherhood Means Showing Up—Always

Being a father means you can’t remember the last time you slept well, but you can instantly tell the difference between “I’m crying because I fell” and “I’m crying because the juice was in the wrong cup.”

It means you’ve become an expert on strollers, thermometers, cartoons, and toddler mood swings—
even though you once dreamed of being a rock star. Or at least sleeping in until 9.

I’ve got four of them. Yes, on purpose. No, I’m not crazy. Well, not completely.

Every Day Teaches You Something New

Every single day, I learn something new about myself.
Like the fact that I can read the same book out loud 12 times in a row.

Or that I’m capable of not murdering someone who wakes me up at 5:40 AM with, “What if a zebra had a cucumber for a tail?”

That I can love these tiny humans beyond reason— and still daydream about just 15 minutes alone in my forest cave.

Being a Dad Isn’t a Title—It’s Presence

A dad isn’t a “hero,” or a “provider,” or the “head of the family.”
A dad is someone who’s there. Every day. Sometimes in slippers. Sometimes hanging by a thread.
But there.

So here’s to every father who’s holding it together.
Who didn’t run. Who isn’t performing for social media.
Even if it feels like everything is held together by duct tape and caffeine.

Happy Father’s Day.