Those little lines read pregnant, and our world changed forever, twice. I always knew you would be an excellent father. I chose you to be the father of my children because I knew the kind of man you were. Yes, I always knew you would make an excellent father. What I did not realize is that you would take the word excellent and raise that bar by a hundred.
You are a man that always puts his family first. ALWAYS.
You consider your family in every decision you make. You work hard for us. You work hard for your children. You work hard for our future. You put our safety and security, both emotional and financial, at the heart of everything you do.
You are a man of action.
You know what needs to get done and you just do it. You iron, you cook, you clean, you braid hair, you fix whatever needs to be fixed, and most importantly, you kill all the bugs and insects without hesitation. You go above and beyond 24/7, and you keep going. You are their father but also an example of what a man should be. They see what you do, and they will expect their husbands to do the same. You set the bar high, and it keeps getting higher.
You are a man that sees me as your equal.
You ask for my advice. You never make big decisions without me. You tell our children that my role is just as vital as your role to our family. While you see me as your equal, you treat me like a lady. You open doors, you lift heavy things for me, you walk closest to the curb, and you give up your seat for me (and for others).
You take the check and pay for it as if we are still dating. Even though the money comes from the same account, you hold on to your role, and you do it well. You do not do these things because I cannot do them for myself. You know I can.
You do these things because you know a man can be both chivalrous and a feminist. You show our girls that it does not have to be one or another- a man can be both.
You are a man of kindness.
You show our children daily that kindness matters. You do for others without asking for anything in return. You say please and thank you. You tip well. You treat the people that clean your office building with the same respect that you treat your boss. You teach our children that kindness does not equal weakness. You show them that compassion is often extending grace but still being strong enough to walk away if needed.
You are a man of fun.
The girls ask you to play, and you instantly say, “Yes!” You play Barbies, monster, princess, cops, and robbers and whatever game they create…..you just play. You dance like no one is watching (or perhaps like everyone is watching), and you dance with the girls whenever they ask. You go to Disney and ride everything, sometimes in a prince costume if it will make your little girl happy. You love to make people laugh and share funny stories. You still put a smile on my face after 20 years.
You are a man of flaws.
Your flaws make you a better person and a better father. You know what your weaknesses are, and there is no need to list them here. What is important is that you do not let your flaws define you. You show our children that we all fall from grace, but it is what we do with the forgiveness we are given that matters. You teach our children that while we are all flawed, we can all do better.
You are a man of faith.
It is your faith that has helped shaped you. Like all of us, sometimes your faith wavers, but you know that God gave us the two greatest blessings we could ever ask for. You teach our children that God created them divinely.
You are raising them to place their value in what their creator intended them to be, not what society desires them to be.
Did I mention that you also are extremely handy around the home? Something breaks, and our two-year-old automatically says, “Daddy fix it.” Yes, we are lucky, indeed.
