This Weekend We Celebrate Dads

We remember the first time we held our children, each one of them. When we clean our homes, we know one thing we will never throw out – the things our children and grandchildren made us or the cards they wrote.

In fact, just recently I came across a bar of soap that my eldest granddaughter made for me 8 years ago. It had been on my vanity for all that time. I recently re-gifted it to her and she got the biggest kick out of it that I still had it 8 years later.

If we’re lucky enough to be near our kids this weekend, we might again try squeezing into the Father’s Day T-shirts they made for us decades ago. Of course, we’ll be relieved that we can manage it despite the pounds we’ve put on since the shirts were new!

If we’re a little less lucky and our children are far away, we will wait for their calls. Those will be some of the best moments of the day.

Honoring Our Paternal Figures Today

If you can’t spend Father’s Day with your dad or the other paternal figures in your life, call them, send them a text, or write a card. You have the most important power – the power to influence how someone feels! Use it to make all the paternal figures in your life feel great this weekend.

We’ve put together some resources to help you express your love and gratitude on Father’s Day, including a quiz and shopping guide to help pick the perfect gift based on your dad’s personality. We’ve also published an article on how best to show your love to all types of dads. And if you happen to be in the Pacific Northwest, we have several  road trips you might enjoy taking with your dad.

We also created a hashtag, #MakeDadsDay, to make it easy to celebrate the paternal figures in your life with our community. Tell dad you’re thinking of him and share with us how you are celebrating your relationship.

Expanding the Celebration

This weekend is a time to be grateful for the fact that our culture is changing with respect to how much time fathers spend with their children. The change is accelerating.

Today, 17 percent of all stay-at-home parents are fathers, up from 10 percent in 1989, the first year for which reliable data is available. There’s also been a lot of reporting how stay-home orders during the pandemic have increased the amount of time fathers spend with their children – something dads welcome, by the way – and advice articles on how fathers can balance work and family life are proliferating.

Father-child relationships also can be seen outside the home. This weekend is also a time to honor the amazing courage and generosity of people who expand the bounds of what it means to be a family, including Big Brothers Big Sisters, which steps in when a mother or father can’t or won’t. Or think of the coaches, clergy people, teachers, and co-workers who helped you grow up. They might not be your dad, but they chipped in and helped raise you. This weekend is a great opportunity to thank them!

Extending the Spirit of the Day

It’s also worth remembering that, for some, this is a very challenging time. Father’s Day may be difficult for those who have lost their dad. For others, estranged from their children, Father’s Day may be difficult as research shows men aren’t as likely to reconcile with alienated kids. This weekend might be a good day for a visit. For many elderly fathers who remain isolated by the pandemic, a phone call could mean a lot.

This is a weekend for all paternal figures to know how much others love them. Let’s make that circle of affection a big one.

In honor of Father’s Day, here is a special message from the dads at 1-800-FLOWERS.

PS: I had a chance to catch up with his friend Scott Savlov on #thepathhere podcast. I hope you enjoy.