19d • General discussion
The Father’s Day Post I Never Got to Write
Tomorrow, there will be a lot of beautiful Father’s Day posts throughout social media…
And there should be.
I’ll be posting about my own Dad.
There’ll be posts about wonderful fathers. Strong fathers. Present fathers. Quiet fathers. Fathers who showed up, worked hard, taught lessons, offered protection, gave advice, embarrassed their children in public, and somehow considered that part of the job description.
I love seeing those posts.
But Father’s Day also makes me feel something a little more complicated.
One of the biggest regrets of my life is that fatherhood is a joy I’ve never known. I’ve never been a father.
A lot is said about women who have a biological clock and their maternal need and internal longing for kids.
You don’t hear it much about that from men.
I can only imagine what it must feel like to raise a child. To watch them grow. To worry about them. To guide them. To mess up sometimes and try again. To see parts of yourself in another human being, while also learning that they are entirely their own person.
I imagine it is one of the greatest challenges a person can take on.
And probably one of the deepest satisfactions.
There’s something truly sacred about being trusted with a life. Not just to provide, but to shape. To protect. To love. To teach someone how to stand on their own, even when your heart would rather keep them close forever.
I’ll never pretend to know what that feels like firsthand.
But I do know this: the good fathers matter more than they probably realize.
The steady ones. The trying ones. The imperfect-but-present ones. The ones who keep showing up even when they’re tired, confused, worried, overwhelmed, or quietly wondering if they’re doing any of it right.
You guys matter.
And for those of us who never became fathers, this day can carry a little ache beneath the surface. A quiet grief. A road not taken. A chapter never written.
That doesn’t mean life is empty.
It just means some dreams stay tender. and my journey was a little different than most (that’s the story of my life, actually…)
So tomorrow, I’ll celebrate the good dads. I’ll honor the role models. I’ll smile at the stories and the old photos.
And somewhere in there, I’ll also make a little room for the part of me that wonders what it might have been like.
Because gratitude and grief can sit at the same table, right?
Love you!
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The Father’s Day Post I Never Got to Write
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Farewell caterpillar, hello 🦋 Experience paradigm shifts and pivot/reinvent yourself to transform life on your terms. No hustle, no grind.
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