Today I want to salute all the great dads out there.  Being a dad is wonderful, terrifying, trying, exhausting, beautiful, and AWESOME!  I love being a dad and I’m so thankful that I am.

I’m proud to be a dad and I’m so glad to see more and more dads involved with their kids.  This is a good cultural shift.  It’s good for the dads, it’s good for the moms, and it’s especially good for the kids.  To me, dads have been marginalized over the past few decades and I’m pleased to see good dads quietly showing the world that dads are good, viable parents, who are a critical part of a child’s life.

Fathers now spend much more time with their kids, even taking paternity leave to bond with their newborns.  I see more and more dads at recitals, school functions, plays, rehearsals, games, you name it.  This is a good thing for mankind and I’m really happy to see that.

Lastly today I want to give thanks to my father.  I’ve learned so much from him.  He exemplifies kindness and calm.  I’ve never seen him get riled up, lose his cool, or his temper (except when I gave mom a bad time!).  In fact, I’ve never heard my dad say anything that could even be construed as negative about my mother.  He’s showed me how to be creative, motivated, and driven.  He’s now in his 80’s and is still working on websites, creating videos, and traveling the world with my mom.  I love you, papa.

Happy Father’s Day to all you dads out there!