What a Father Becomes

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Happy Father’s Day! In honor of the occasion, I thought we could have a very special guest today, to give us some first-hand intel straight from the trenches of fatherhood. Gang, give it up for my husband! xoxo

Hey all! Ryan here, stopping by between a date with a sandbox and a marathon session of stacking blocks for just long enough to say hello. When Chelsea asked me what I wanted to do for Father’s Day, I thought and thought but I couldn’t come up with any requests. I guess I kind of feel like every day is Father’s Day. Well, every day and no day. Let me explain.

When I became a dad, I had no idea what I was in for. Sure, I expected the late night feedings and the messy meals and lots of diapers. And I expected to love the kid. But I didn’t expect this. I didn’t expect to feel like a day spent on the carpet playing cars was the best day of the week. I didn’t expect to get a bigger thrill out of tossing my baby in the air than she does. I didn’t expect that those tiny things would make me feel so big inside.

I used to be a guy. Just a good old fashioned normal dude. Then I became a dad. And suddenly my list of skills exploded. I’m the bath giver. (I’m particularly good at washing hair.) I’m the pancake maker. I’m the bedtime book reader. I’m the family handyman. I built a swing from scratch with my own two hands, for crying out loud. You have kids and suddenly you have no choice but to be superhuman, because when there’s a pair of tiny eyes looking up at you with that shine of expectation, you would move mountains to give them what they need.

When I say every day is Father’s Day, that’s what I mean. My two kids, when they came along, gave me the chance to be superhuman every day of the year. And when I say no day is Father’s Day, I guess I mean that being a dad doesn’t stop for any holidays. Kids don’t know that it’s time to let you sit down and relax. If dad is superhuman, he’s superhuman every moment. And I wouldn’t have it any other way. To be the one they rely on, the one they look to when something needs fixing or hugging or loving, is the greatest gift of all. That being said, I did tell Chelsea that I wanted her to be the one to make the pancakes this morning.

So today, I’m joining Pampers to thank dads everywhere, and to thank my kids for making me one. If you’re a dad — high five, man. And if you have a dad or know a dad give them a pat on the back from me, for all of the million things they became when they added “Dad” to their job description.

This post is sponsored by Pampers. All opinions are our own. Thank you for being supportive of the partners who help keep Lovely Indeed rocking!

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3 Comments

    1. Thank you putting your experience into words. My oldest son has a 9 month old, first child and my youngest son is expecting in November. I pretty much think you nailed it! Thank you!